Today's Word "Homunculus"
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Published in Vocabulary
homunculus \hoh-MEN-kye-les\ (noun) - A very small man.
"If Gibson's brother is a giant in his field, he is a homunculus in his."
From the Latin diminutive (a word referring to something small or beloved) of homo, hominis "man." Until modern medicine, it was believed that a human sperm cell contained a "preformed" complete homunculus that began growing in the womb. Later, the term substituted for "midget" and "pygmy" but is considered pejorative today. Today, its use is generally restricted to science fiction or insults.
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