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

He’s the runt of the litter, and the comedy relief.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2025

“That’s true, she could, but she’s not here right now, is she? All I can see here is a skinny little runt, a daydreaming daffodil, and a giant loaf of bread.”

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness

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’m thirsty, so I guess I should drag the remains of the rabbit to the stream for the runts.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz