miniature
gb/mˈɪniət͡ʃˌʊɹ/ us/mˈɪniət͡ʃˌʊɹ/
B1
English
~ 8500
makett, miniatűr, mini, minipalack, portréminiatúra, miniatűr arckép, miniatűr fajtájú állat, törpe fajta
NOUN
B1
1
makett
B1
Usage pattern:
a miniature of [something]
The museum displayed a miniature of the ancient temple in the entrance hall.
A múzeum az előcsarnokban kiállította az ókori templom makettjét.
He built a detailed miniature of the ship using wood and paper.
Fából és papírból megépítette a hajó részletes makettjét.
On her desk she kept a tiny glass miniature of the Eiffel Tower.
The architect showed the client a scale miniature of the new shopping center.
They sell painted miniatures for tabletop games at that store.
Learner examples
The child played with a miniature of a train station.
A gyerek egy vasútállomás makettjével játszott.
I bought a miniature of the old castle for my friend.
Megvettem a barátomnak a régi vár makettjét.
This shop sells miniatures of famous buildings.
We saw a miniature of the new bridge on the table.
He makes small plastic miniatures of cars.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the noun 'a miniature' with the adjective use, saying *'this is very miniature'* instead of 'this is very small' or 'this is a miniature model'. Use 'miniature' as a noun when it stands alone as 'a miniature (of something)'.
Meaning
very small model or copy
Collocations
a miniature of
|collect miniatures
|painted miniatures
|dollhouse miniatures
|miniature figures
Synonyms
model (More general; does not always suggest very small size or high detail.)
|
replica (Stresses exact copying; can be any size, not only very small.)
Antonyms
full-size (Describes the normal, original size rather than a small copy.)
|
life-size (Stresses the same size as the real object or person, not a reduced copy.)
Themes
arts
|hobbies
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very small model or copy of something bigger, often made with a lot of detail.
A very small, usually detailed model or copy of something larger, such as a building, object, or scene.
B1
2
Usage pattern:
a miniature [object]
They built a miniature village in the park for visitors to explore.
Egy miniatűr falut építettek a parkban, amelyet a látogatók bejárhattak.
She keeps a miniature cactus on her office desk.
Egy miniatűr kaktuszt tart az irodai íróasztalán.
The company released a miniature version of their popular speaker.
He collects miniature cars and lines them up on his shelf.
The children rode a miniature train that went around the garden.
Learner examples
I bought a miniature camera that fits in my pocket.
Vettem egy miniatűr fényképezőgépet, amely elfér a zsebemben.
They have a miniature dog that looks like a small poodle.
Van egy miniatűr kutyájuk, amely egy kis uszkárra hasonlít.
We walked through a miniature city at the theme park.
She grows miniature roses on her balcony.
He showed us a miniature version of the new phone.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'miniature' where 'small' or 'little' is more natural in everyday speech. 'Miniature' usually suggests a reduced version of something specific (a miniature car, a miniature city), not just any small thing.
Meaning
much smaller than normal size
Collocations
miniature camera
|miniature horse
|miniature roses
|miniature toy
|miniature version
|miniature village
Synonyms
tiny (More general and informal; does not always suggest a smaller version of something specific.)
|
small-scale (Often more technical or formal; can refer to size or to limited scope, not just physical dimensions.)
Antonyms
full-sized (Describes the normal or standard size version of something.)
|
huge (Emphasizes very large size, the opposite of very small.)
Themes
description
|size
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Much smaller than normal size; a tiny version of something.
Very small in size, especially compared with the normal or usual version of the same thing.
NOUN
B2
3
minipalack
B1
Usage pattern:
a miniature of [a type of alcohol]
The hotel charges high prices for the miniatures in the fridge.
A szálloda nagyon sokat kér a hűtőben lévő minipalackokért.
He bought a miniature of whisky at the airport to drink on the train.
Vett a repülőtéren egy minipalack whiskyt, hogy megigya a vonaton.
They gave each guest a miniature of champagne as a party favor.
The cart offered coffee, soft drinks, and miniatures of brandy and gin.
She collects old advertising miniatures from famous liquor brands.
Learner examples
There are many miniatures of vodka in the hotel room.
Sok vodkás minipalack van a szállodai szobában.
He opened a miniature of rum on the plane.
Kinyitott egy minipalack rumot a repülőn.
I bought three miniatures of whisky at the shop.
They sell miniatures of different drinks at the bar.
She put the empty miniature back on the table.
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'miniature' here means any small bottle. In this sense it usually refers specifically to alcohol, not to small bottles of water, shampoo, or other liquids.
Meaning
small bottle of alcoholic drink
Collocations
miniature bottles
|hotel miniatures
|a miniature of whisky
|duty-free miniatures
|gin miniatures
Synonyms
nip (Used mainly in some varieties of English (e.g. British, Irish, Scottish); slightly informal.)
|
mini-bar bottle (Refers specifically to small bottles found in hotel mini-bars.)
Antonyms
full bottle (Refers to a normal-sized bottle of alcohol, not the small single-serving size.)
|
full-sized bottle (Emphasizes the standard size, opposite of the very small miniature bottle.)
Themes
food_and_drink
|travel
|business
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
A very small bottle of alcohol that holds one drink, often found in hotel rooms or on airplanes.
A very small bottle of alcoholic drink, usually containing a single serving and often sold individually or provided in hotels or on planes.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
4
Usage pattern:
a miniature of [someone]
The gallery’s new exhibition focuses on eighteenth-century portrait miniatures.
A galéria új kiállításának középpontjában a 18. századi portréminiatúrák állnak.
She inherited a tiny miniature of her great-grandmother set in a gold locket.
Örökölt egy apró, aranymedalionba foglalt portréminiatúrát a dédanyjáról.
The artist is known for delicate miniatures painted on ivory.
Several royal miniatures were displayed alongside larger oil paintings.
Conservators used a magnifying glass to clean the damaged miniature.
Learner examples
We saw a miniature of a young king in the museum.
A múzeumban láttunk egy miniatűr arcképet egy fiatal királyról.
The old ring has a miniature of a woman inside it.
A régi gyűrű belsejében egy nő miniatűr arcképe van.
He studies miniatures from the seventeenth century.
This book shows many small miniatures of famous people.
The artist learned to paint very fine miniatures.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with any small picture or photograph. In art history, a 'miniature' usually means a specific traditional form of small, detailed painting, often from earlier centuries.
Meaning
small detailed portrait painting
Collocations
portrait miniatures
|paint miniatures
|collection of miniatures
|eighteenth-century miniatures
|miniature portraits
Synonyms
portrait miniature (More technical; clearly marks this as an art term for small portraits.)
|
miniature painting (General art term; may include subjects other than portraits in some traditions.)
Antonyms
mural (A very large wall painting, opposite in typical size to a tiny miniature.)
|
large-scale painting (Emphasizes much larger dimensions, contrasting with the tiny format of a miniature.)
Themes
arts
|history
|arts_entertainment
|relationships
|daily_life
Definition
A very small, carefully painted picture of a person’s face and upper body, often from past centuries.
A very small, finely detailed portrait painting, traditionally made on materials such as ivory, vellum, or card and often worn in a locket or kept as a personal keepsake.
NOUN
B2
5
Usage pattern:
a miniature of [animal breed]
They keep a few miniatures on their small farm alongside two full-size horses.
Kis gazdaságukban két normál méretű ló mellett néhány minilovat is tartanak.
Miniatures require different fencing because of their size.
A minilovaknak méretük miatt másfajta kerítésre van szükségük.
The breeder specializes in miniatures that are gentle with children.
At the show, the ring for miniatures was separate from the pony classes.
Miniatures can sometimes be kept in smaller fields than standard horses.
Learner examples
She owns three miniatures and one big horse.
Három minilova és egy nagy lova van.
Miniatures are easier to keep on a small farm.
A minilovakat könnyebb kis gazdaságban tartani.
The boy rode a miniature at the fair.
They bought a miniature for their children to learn to ride.
Miniatures eat less food than normal horses.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'a miniature' in this sense can mean any small animal. It usually refers to a recognized very small breed, especially of horses, and is not used for random small animals.
Meaning
animal of very small breed
Collocations
miniature horse
|miniatures and ponies
|show miniatures
|breed miniatures
|miniature cattle
Synonyms
miniature horse (Refers specifically to the horse breed, not to all small animals.)
|
toy breed (Used mainly for very small dogs; overlaps in meaning but is a technical kennel-club term.)
Antonyms
full-size horse (Refers to a normal-height horse, not the very small miniature.)
|
standard breed (Refers to the regular-sized version of an animal breed.)
Themes
animals
|hobbies
Definition
A horse, dog, or other animal that is from a very small kind of that animal.
An animal that belongs to a very small breed, especially a horse or dog that has been bred to be much smaller than the usual size.
Grammar
Dictionary form
miniature
IPA
GB/mˈɪniət͡ʃˌʊɹ/
US/mˈɪniət͡ʃˌʊɹ/
Syllables & stress
mini - ature (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (mini)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: miniature
Noun
- Base: miniature
- Plural: miniature, miniatures
Word family
Forms
miniatures
noun
Related words
miniaturize
verb
mini
noun A2
Advanced or less common
miniaturization
noun
miniaturist
noun
Expressions
in miniature
1/ˈɪn mˈɪniət͡ʃˌʊɹ/
fixed phrase
in a much smaller version
In a form that is much smaller than usual, but with the same main parts or features.
Examples
- The model shows the whole city in miniature.
- The garden is like a rainforest in miniature, with tiny trees and a small waterfall.
- This classroom is society in miniature, with many different personalities and backgrounds.
miniature golf
1/mˈɪniət͡ʃˌʊɹ ɡˈɑlf/
fixed phrase
small-scale fun golf game
A fun game like golf, played on a very small course with short holes and many simple obstacles, often at a park or amusement center.
Examples
- We played miniature golf with the kids on Saturday afternoon.
- There’s a miniature golf course next to the bowling alley.
- Miniature golf is a popular date activity in the summer.
miniature railway
1/mˈɪniət͡ʃˌʊɹ ɹˈeɪlwˌeɪ/
fixed phrase
small passenger-carrying railway
A very small train line, usually in a park or at a tourist place, where people ride on small trains for fun.
Examples
- The park has a miniature railway that runs around the lake.
- Children lined up to ride the miniature railway through the gardens.
- He volunteers as a driver on the local miniature railway at weekends.
miniature schnauzer
1/mˈɪniət͡ʃˌʊɹ ʃnˈaʊzɚ/
fixed phrase
small breed of schnauzer dog
A small kind of schnauzer dog that is a recognized breed, with a beard and eyebrows and a size smaller than the standard schnauzer.
Examples
- They adopted a miniature schnauzer from the local shelter.
- Miniature schnauzers are known to be lively and intelligent dogs.
- Her miniature schnauzer barks whenever someone comes to the door.