bantam

¹

[ ban-tuhm ]

noun

1. (often initial capital letter) a chicken of any of several varieties or breeds characterized by very small size.
2. a small and feisty or quarrelsome person.

adjective

1. diminutive; tiny:

   bantam editions of the classics.

   Synonyms: Lilliputian, pygmy, wee, small, miniature, petite

Bantam

²

[ ban-tuhm; Dutch bahn-tahm ]

noun

1. a village in W Java, in S Indonesia: first Dutch settlement in the East Indies.

bantam

/ ˈbæntəm /

noun

1. any of various very small breeds of domestic fowl
2. a small but aggressive person
3. boxing short for bantamweight
4. 1. an age level of between 13 and 15 in amateur sport, esp ice hockey
   2. ( as modifier )

      bantam hockey

Word History and Origins

Origin of bantam¹

1740–50; apparently after Bantam, through which such chickens may have been imported to Europe

Word History and Origins

Origin of bantam¹

C18: after Bantam village in Java, said to be the original home of this fowl

Example Sentences

In March 2023, the bantam hen from Michigan was crowned the world's oldest living chicken by Guinness World Records.

From DOGO News

It is not uncommon for this breed of bantam to be the top of the pecking order among milder-mannered breeds.

From Literature

Jack and some of the other boys in his neighborhood would ride their bikes around carrying miniature bantam roosters, or banties, which they would take under a shade tree and pair up for fights.

From New York Times

Barnes grew up in Eastvale, just an hour from Los Angeles, and played for bantam and junior teams supported by the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks.

From Seattle Times

He was skinny as a young man, and the Toronto Globe and Mail once quoted some of his fellow fliers as saying he was “more like a wiry bantam weight.”

From Washington Post