bantam

1 of 2

noun

ban·​tam ˈban-təm How to pronounce bantam (audio)
1
: any of numerous small domestic fowls that are often miniatures of members of the standard breeds
2
: a person of diminutive stature and often combative disposition

bantam

2 of 2

adjective

1
2
: pertly combative

Examples of bantam in a Sentence

Adjective a bantam comedian who is known to fellow performers for his oversize ego
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In the years that followed, that little chick grew up to become a healthy adult bantam hen named Peanut. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023 And the bantam hen is now earning recognition: Guinness World Records has named her the world’s oldest living chicken. Cathy Free, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2023 The grand champion and reserve grand champion for chicken, duck, turkey and bantam eggs will be sold at Friday’s livestock auction. Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 3 Aug. 2023 One of the nests has been taken over by our little bantam hen. Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 12 May 2023 Feist is a 1st-round bantam pick. Dylan Bumbarger, oregonlive, 14 Jan. 2023 If Claude Julien were still the bench boss, the radio talk-show crazies for sure would be decrying how the ol’ coach doesn’t like kids, won’t play them, couldn’t pick Wayne Gretzky out of a bantam tournament, is too fearful to take ice time away from the likes of Shawn Thornton and Chris Kelly. BostonGlobe.com, 17 Apr. 2021 Ross Perot, the bantam-weight third-party candidate of the 1990s, who exuded excessive confidence in the eternal wisdom of his every utterance. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 4 Nov. 2022 They were inextricably linked through sports, even if their two-year age gap meant Smith, now 26, was just a pewee when McLain was a bantam. Dave Kallmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2022
Adjective
Tipping the scales at a bantam weight of only 1.14 pounds, and less than a foot long, even the gram-conscious minimalists have to take notice. Tim MacWelch, Outdoor Life, 9 Sep. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bantam.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Bantam, former residency in Java

First Known Use

Noun

1740, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bantam was in 1740

Dictionary Entries Near bantam

Cite this Entry

“Bantam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bantam. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bantam

noun
ban·​tam
ˈbant-əm
: any of numerous small domestic fowls that are often miniatures of members of the standard breeds
bantam adjective

Geographical Definition

Bantam

geographical name

Ban·​tam ˈban-təm How to pronounce Bantam (audio)
former town of Indonesia in the northwestern corner of Java; once capital of the Sultanate of Bantam

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