2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

Microcosm \Mi"cro*cosm\, noun [F. microcosme, L. microcosmus, fr. Gr. mikro's small + ko'smos the world.]

1. A little world; a miniature universe. Hence (so called by Paracelsus), a man, as a supposed epitome of the exterior universe or great world. Opposed to {macrocosm}. --Shak.

2. A relatively small object or system considered as representative of a larger system of which it is part, exhibiting many features of the complete system. [PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

microcosm

noun