What is "runt"

Runt \Runt\, n. [Written also rant.] [Scot. runt an old cow, an old, withered woman, a hardened stem or stalk, the trunk of a tree; cf. D. rund a bullock, an ox or cow, G. rind. Cf. Rother, a.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) Any animal which is unusually small, as compared with others of its kind; -- applied particularly to domestic animals.

2. (Zo["o]l.) A variety of domestic pigeon, related to the barb and carrier.

3. A dwarf; also, a mean, despicable, boorish person; -- used opprobriously.

   Before I buy a bargain of such runts, I'll buy a college for bears, and live among 'em.
   --Beau. & Fl.

4. The dead stump of a tree; also, the stem of a plant. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
   --Halliwell.

   Neither young poles nor old runts are durable.
   --Holland.

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).

n. 1 The smallest animal of a litter. 2 The smallest child in the family, as in "the runt of the family." 3 undersized or stunted plant, animal or person. 4 (context computing English) An Ethernet packet that does not meet the medium's minimum packet size of 64 bytes. 5 (context typography English) A single word (or portion of a hyphenated word) that appears as the last line of a paragraph. 6 A breed of pigeon related to the carrier pigeon. 7 (context obsolete UK dialect English) A hardened stem or stalk of a plant.

n. disparaging terms for small people [syn: shrimp, peewee, half-pint]

A runt is a smaller specimen in a group of animals, usually of offspring in a litter.

Runt(s) may also refer to:

• Runt (album), a 1970 album by Todd Rundgren, originally credited to the band Runt
• Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren, a 1971 album by Todd Rundgren
• Runt (novel), a novel by Marion Dane Bauer
• RUNT Linux, ResNet USB Network Tester, a Linux distro
• Runts, a brand of candy
• Brother Runt or simply Runt, ringname of Matt Hyson ( Spike Dudley), American professional wrestler
• C. W. Bishop (1890–1971), nicknamed "Runt", U.S. Congressman from Illinois
• Runt Wolfe (1902–1972), nickname of Moe Berg, Major League Baseball Player, and spy
• Runt (protein), a transcription factor
• Runt frame, an Ethernet frame shorter than the minimum of 64 bytes
• The "Runt" device, a prototype hydrogen bomb detonated in the Castle Romeo test

In fictional characters:

• Runt, of the duo Rita and Runt, in the TV series Animaniacs
• Runt, a character in the video game Simon the Sorcerer II: The Lion, the Wizard and the Wardrobe
• Runt, a character in the film Disco Pigs
• Runts, characters in the video game Quadrun
• The Runts, a gang in the film City of God
• Runt, a character from Disney's Chicken Little

Runt is the self-titled debut album of the band Runt, first released in 1970 on the Ampex Records label. Many regarded the album as Todd Rundgren's debut solo album, and later reissues (including the 1990 CD reissue by Rhino) credit the album to Todd Rundgren rather than to Runt. At the initial time of release, however, Runt was identified as a trio consisting of Rundgren (guitars, keyboards, vocals), Hunt Sales (drums), and Tony Fox Sales (bass). The entire album was written and produced by Rundgren.

Initially dividing critics upon its release, the record runs the gamut from blues-styled guitar workouts ("Birthday Carol", "Broke Down and Busted") to power pop ("Devil's Bite", "Don't Tie My Hands") to Laura Nyro-styled piano pop ("We Gotta Get You a Woman", "Baby Let's Swing", "The Last Thing You Said") to rock 'n' roll ("Who's That Man") to piano ballads ("Believe in Me", "Once Burned", the middle section of "Birthday Carol"), as well as more experimental numbers (the sarcastic, prog-rock tinged "I'm in the Clique", "There Are No Words").

The album features the single " We Gotta Get You a Woman", which reached number 20 on Billboards Hot 100 in 1971.

In a group of animals (usually a litter of animals born in multiple births), a runt is a member which is smaller or weaker than the others. Due to its small size, a runt in a litter faces obvious disadvantages, including difficulties in competing with its siblings for survival and possible rejection by its mother. Therefore, in the wild, a runt is less likely to survive infancy.

Even among domestic animals, runts often face rejection. They may be placed under the direct care of an experienced animal breeder, although the animal's size and weakness coupled with the lack of natural parental care make this difficult. Some tamed animals are the result of reared runts.

Runt is a 2002 children's novel written by Marion Dane Bauer. It tells of a story about a wolf pup who is a runt.