Origin: Latin suffix -ure
Miniature has 6 different meanings across 2 categories:
painting or drawing included in a book (especially in illuminated medieval manuscripts)
"The rare manuscript is famous for its exquisite miniature depicting the life of Saint George."
Greatly diminished size or form; reduced scale.
"The miniature version of the car fits perfectly inside a dollhouse."
In plain English: A miniature is something that is very small and looks like a full-sized version of it.
"The miniature on his desk was so small you could lose it in your pocket."
Usage: Use the noun miniature when referring to an object that is a small-scale replica of something larger, such as a dollhouse model or a tiny painting on ivory. Avoid confusing it with "small" if you need to emphasize that the item replicates specific details from its full-sized counterpart rather than just being generally diminutive.
To make smaller than normal; to reproduce in miniature.
"The artist decided to paint a miniature version of the city skyline on his desk."
In plain English: To make something very small, often by using magic or special effects to create a tiny version of it for fun.
"The artist miniatures historical battles onto tiny scrolls for easy storage."
Smaller than normal.
"The miniature version of the car fit easily into my handbag."
The word miniature comes from the Italian term for manuscript illumination. It originally referred to coloring manuscripts in bright red using a pigment called red lead before evolving to mean any small-scale version of something larger.