runt

The octopus appears to be the runt of the Megaleledonidae family, whose members are normally much larger and live in the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica.

From Barron's ● May 25, 2026

Beguiled by photos of teensy piglets, she chose the runt of the litter—a tiny, shivering nugget for $350.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026

"I'd stay up with her too, making sure all was okay. And it was, with even the runt of the litter thriving."

From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026

But Dek is the approximate size of a large human, a veritable runt in a race of beings that are typically between 7 and 8 feet tall.

From Salon ● Nov. 12, 2025

Every kid at the party was a runt beside her, except Harry, who was only a couple of inches shorter.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

The Rams were nearly toppled by the runts, barely surviving what should have been a blowout, profusely sweating through a wild-card playoff game that should have been a breeze, and now you wonder.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2026

They’re largely about the desolation and pain heaped upon the runts of life’s litter, young people who barely stand a chance.

From New York Times ● Jan. 18, 2022

With a limited budget, I had only the runts of the litter from which to choose.

From BBC ● May 29, 2021

Some are noisy and adventurous while others stick close to mom; some are born runts while others are bullies from day one.

From Scientific American ● May 22, 2013

I take up the meat, swallow it down, then race toward the bickering runts.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz