homunculus

• Substantivo que designa um ser humano muito pequeno, frequentemente usado em contextos históricos ou científicos para descrever um homem minúsculo ou um indivíduo em miniatura totalmente formado que, segundo teorias antigas, existiria no espermatozoide.

A noun referring to a very small human being, often used in historical or scientific contexts to describe a miniature person or a tiny, fully formed individual once theorized to exist in a sperm cell.

plural irregular

1. Very small personC1formal

   A human being of extremely small stature, but without any other physical deformities or abnormalities.

   Homúnculo

   • The circus featured a homunculus who was no taller than a child.
   • In the story, a homunculus lived in a tiny house built just for him.
   • The term homunculus is sometimes used to describe a very small but otherwise normal person.

   Sinônimosdwarflilliputianmanikinmidget

   Antônimosgiant

2. Preformation theory entityC2formal

   A tiny, fully formed human believed, according to the now-discredited theory of preformation, to exist inside a sperm cell.

   Homúnculo

   • The preformation theory suggested that a homunculus was contained within the sperm.
   • Scientists later disproved the existence of the homunculus in reproductive biology.
   • The concept of the homunculus was a key part of early embryological thought.