Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A tiny dwarf: sometimes applied in derision to a diminutive person.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun colloq. A very diminutive person.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun colloquial, dated A very
diminutive person.
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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"Who do you think would fash themselves about such a little hop-o'-my-thumb?"
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And after vague hop-o'-my-thumb wanderings, he had a disconnected memory of Hugh -- a wild, rugged, ragged, bearded Hugh who caught him up fiercely as though he had an ogrish hunger for the feel of little boys.
Snow-Blind Katharine Newlin Burt 1929
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"All his wits are in his eyes, as you can tell jest to look at him – an 'for sech a little hop-o'-my-thumb female that don't reach nigh up to his shoulder."
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"I can't be taking orders off'n every hop-o'-my-thumb like that college kid."
Judith of Blue Lake Ranch Jackson Gregory 1912
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It is too much associated with a truckling, subservience to English people and English ideas and the silly swagger of the hop-o'-my-thumb junior officer.
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"All his wits are in his eyes, as you can tell jest to look at him -- an 'for sech a little hop-o'-my-thumb female that don't reach nigh up to his shoulder."
The Miller Of Old Church Ellen Anderson Gholson Glasgow 1909
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There were -- let me see -- two, three, four, actually five girls of varying heights, the two elder, twins apparently, for in all respects they resembled each other so closely; three or four boys, too, from Jack of fourteen to little hop-o'-my-thumb Chris of six.
A Christmas Posy Mrs. Molesworth 1880
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Marry, thou hop-o'-my-thumb, happy wouldst thou be could thy head reach the captive Baron's girdle. ''
The Waverley 1877
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So brisk, and blunt, and eager, quite lifting his niece off her feet, and almost crushing her in his embrace, telling her she was still but a hop-o'-my-thumb, and shaking hands with his nephew with a look of scrutiny that brought the blood to the boy's cheek.
Hopes and Fears or, scenes from the life of a spinster Charlotte Mary Yonge 1862
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At the next station we drank large quantities of hot milk, flavored with butter, sugar and cinnamon, and then pushed on, with another chubby hop-o'-my-thumb as guide and driver.
Northern Travel Summer and Winter Pictures of Sweden, Denmark and Lapland Bayard Taylor 1851
chained_bear commented on the word hop-o'-my-thumb
Usage note on hop-o-my-thumb (which is the less common spelling, I think).
September 5, 2008