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Added 9 October 2026

runt

/ɹʌnt/ noun

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about runt at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The smallest animal of a litter.
The smallest child in the family.
the runt of the family
Undersized or stunted plant, animal or person.

Origin

The OED classifies this word as "of obscure origin". Some see a connection to Middle Dutch runt (“ox”), but the OED considers this to be unlikely. Possibly connected to Icelandic hrotti meaning "brute".

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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