The word "bonsai" from Japanese is translated differently. But the most common and closest to reality interpretation is "a tree in a bowl."
Allthough it is an interpretation indeed, I'd say: not quite. That would probably be more the definition for a hachi-no-ki.
The interpretation heard from someone of our club, who is quite wellknown in the bonsai world, has beent here since the start, has a rich history and really knows his busines:
"Living in a shallow plain"
But just like yamadori, it doesn't translate so easily. You'd have to describe the concept using phrases.
Create a mini plant, which exactly repeats the look of a large tree
And no... that too I do not really agree with. You cannot replicate a real tree in miniature. It is an impression of a real tree - not just any tree, but an old, mature tree, that shows it has struggled against the elements and survived.