c. 1500, "old or decayed tree stump," of unknown origin. Meaning extended to "small ox or cow" (1540s) and by 1610s generally to undersized animals and people. Specific American English sense of "smallest of a litter" (especially of pigs) is attested from 1841. Some see a connection to Middle Dutch runt "ox," but OED thinks this unlikely, and pronounces the word "of obscure origin." Related: Runty (1807).
雙語(yǔ)例句
1. Animals reject the runt of the litter.
動(dòng)物會(huì)丟棄最弱小的幼仔。
來(lái)自柯林斯例句
2. You little runt!
你這個(gè)小矬子！
來(lái)自柯林斯例句
3. the runt of the litter
最弱小的幼崽
來(lái)自《權(quán)威詞典》
4. My research owes nothing to anybody, least of all to a little runt like you.