is a Japanese word meaning roughly "dwarf" or "small child." The word has gained currency amongst fans of Manga and Anime . Its meaning is of someone or some animal that is small. It can be translated as "little," but is not used the same way as ''chiisana'' (tiny, small, little in Japanese ). A prototypical example of the former usage in the original Japanese which brought the term to the attention of Western fans is '' Chibiusa '', a Pet Name for the diminutive daughter of Sailor Moon formed from ''Chibi Usagi'' ("Little Usagi").http://www.kurozuki.com/takeuchi/sailormoon/volume03.html An example of the latter usage is small cute dolls of anime characters being referred to as ''Chibis''.
Some anime fans have conflated the terms ''chibi'' and '' describes an art style used in manga or anime, while Chibi describes the person or their physical stature.
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