A medical condition in which a person or animal is significantly smaller than normal due to genetic, hormonal, or other developmental factors.
From 'dwarf' with the medical/scientific suffix '-ism,' which creates nouns for conditions, diseases, or systems. The suffix '-ism' was borrowed from Greek and Latin scientific terminology.
Medical words use '-ism' to sound scientific and precise—'dwarfism' tells doctors exactly what condition you're discussing, whereas 'being small' is too vague for diagnosis!
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