gain possession of by prior right or opportunity, especially so as to obtain the right to buy (land)
take the place of or have precedence over; "live broadcast of the presidential debate preempts the regular news hour"; "discussion of the emergency situation will preempt the lecture by the professor"
small and delicate; "she was an elfin creature--graceful and delicate"; "obsessed by things elfin and small"
suggestive of an elf in strangeness and otherworldliness; "thunderbolts quivered with elfin flares of heat lightning"; "the fey quality was there, the ability to see the moon at midday"- John Mason Brown
usually good-naturedly mischievous; "perpetrated a practical joke with elfin delight"; "elvish tricks"
relating to or made or done by or as if by an elf; "elfin bells"; "all the little creatures joined in the elfin dance"
take into one's family; "They adopted two children from Nicaragua"
take up and practice as one's own
choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans; "She followed the feminist movement"; "The candidate espouses Republican ideals"
like or containing small sticky lumps; "the dumplings were chunky pieces of uncooked dough"
short and thick; as e.g. having short legs and heavy musculature; "some people seem born to be square and chunky"; "a dumpy little dumpling of a woman"; "dachshunds are long lowset dogs with drooping ears"; "a little church with a squat tower"; "a squatty red smokestack"; "a stumpy ungainly figure"