runt

(redirected from Runts)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

runt of the litter

The smallest and weakest person in a group, especially a group of siblings. (A "litter" is a group of newborn mammals, the smallest of which is least likely to thrive or survive.) Even though I'm the middle child, I've always been the runt of the litter in our family—even my younger sister picks on me because she's taller than I am.

runt of the litter

1. Lit. the smallest animal born in a litter; the animal in a litter least likely to survive. No one wanted to buy the runt of the litter, so we kept it.

2. and the runt of the family Fig. the smallest child in the family. I was the runt of the litter and the butt of all the jokes.

runt

n. a small person; someone whose growth has been stunted. (Also a rude term of address.) He can’t play basketball. He’s just a runt.

See also:

References in periodicals archive ?

Let us assume for a minute that Billy is not just standing next to the 12-year-old boy in the secluded, but otherwise empty school yard, but rather has already put his foot on top of the little guys head at about 35 miles per hour because Billy does not like the skinny little runt anyway (say the moral equivalent of the softwood lumber duties) and the question immediately arises as to whom is the moron.

In fairness, the skinny little runt did not actually say anything to Billy's face; she said it to what is known as a journalist.

Who is calling who a moron? The million-dollar question is who really is the moron?

They would be described as "the skinny runts" because they were not getting the right food, she went on.

POORER KIDS TEND TO BE FAT, SAYS MP

"The farmer said the runts were going to be shot as they were not profitable so I bought two from him and when he came to give us them, he gave us a third one free.

Globe trotter mum is going the whole hog; Oz-bound Jaclyn's plea to find six pets a new home

Ms Shankland, who breeds Tamworths, says that unscrupulous breeders have attempted to create a race of tiny pigs by breeding runts with runts, some of which are under-nourished, not fully-grown or closely related.

PIG MYTH A so-called micro pig, bred from the runts of two litters, could grow to an enormous size

Be warned - mini pigs craze is misnomer

He offered to give me the runts when it was time to wean.

A home butcherer offers some tips

A GANG of school-age yobs dubbed the Wild Runts after terrorising a neighbourhood for four months have had Asbos slapped on them.

Asbos end 'Wild Runts' terror reign; COURTS

THE TIME of year is upon us; we runts are about to embark on the working world.

You Say: Waste of money

These runts of society put themselves into prison and think the world owes them a living.

Your view: Slop folly

In particular, nearly half the progeny of one mother were runts and developed a skin disease resembling psoriasis, common in about one-quarter of AIDS patients.