Adjacent Words

Elf definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ELF, n. plu. elves.
1. A wandering spirit; a fairy; a hobgoblin; an imaginary being which our rude ancestors supposed to inhabit unfrequented places, and in various ways to affect mankind. Hence in Scottish, elf-shot is an elf-arrow; an arrow-head of flint, supposed to be shot by elfs; and it signifies also a disease supposed to be produced by the agency of spirits.
Every elf, and fairy sprite,
Hope as light as bird from brier.
2. An evil spirit; a devil.
3. A diminutive person.
ELF, v.t. To entangle hair in so intricate a manner, that it cannot be disentangled. This work was formerly ascribed to elves.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: (folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous [syn: elf, hob, gremlin, pixie, pixy, brownie, imp]
2: below 3 kilohertz [syn: extremely low frequency, ELF]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural elves) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English ælf; akin to Old Norse alfr elf & perhaps to Latin albus white — more at alb Date: before 12th century 1. a small often mischievous fairy 2. a small lively creature; also a usually lively mischievous or malicious person • elfish adjective • elfishly adverb

Merriam Webster's

abbreviation extremely low frequency

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. elves) 1 a mythological being, esp. one that is small and mischievous. 2 a sprite or little creature. Phrases and idioms: elf-lock a tangled mass of hair. Derivatives: elfish adj. elvish adj. Etymology: OE f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Elf Elf ([e^]lf), n.; pl. Elves ([e^]lvz). [AS. [ae]lf, ylf; akin to MHG. alp, G. alp nightmare, incubus, Icel. [=a]lfr elf, Sw. alf, elfva; cf. Skr. [.r]bhu skillful, artful, rabh to grasp. Cf. Auf, Oaf.] 1. An imaginary supernatural being, commonly a little sprite, much like a fairy; a mythological diminutive spirit, supposed to haunt hills and wild places, and generally represented as delighting in mischievous tricks. Every elf, and fairy sprite, Hop as light as bird from brier. --Shak. 2. A very diminutive person; a dwarf. Elf arrow, a flint arrowhead; -- so called by the English rural folk who often find these objects of prehistoric make in the fields and formerly attributed them to fairies; -- called also elf bolt, elf dart, and elf shot. Elf child, a child supposed to be left by elves, in room of one they had stolen. See Changeling. Elf fire, the ignis fatuus. --Brewer. Elf owl (Zo["o]l.), a small owl (Micrathene Whitneyi) of Southern California and Arizona.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Elf Elf, v. t. To entangle mischievously, as an elf might do. Elf all my hair in knots. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Elves Elves, n.; pl. of Elf. Elvish Elv"ish, a. 1. Pertaining to elves; implike; mischievous; weird; also, vacant; absent in demeanor. See Elfish. He seemeth elvish by his countenance. --Chaucer. 2. Mysterious; also, foolish. [Obs.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(elves) In fairy stories, elves are small magical beings who play tricks on people. N-COUNT: usu pl

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Fairy, fay, sprite, imp, urchin, diminutive spirit. 2. Dwarf, gnome. 3. Imp, urchin, mischief (applied in sport to a child).

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

A fairy or hobgoblin, a little man or woman.

Moby Thesaurus

Ariel, Befind, Corrigan, Dingbelle, Fifinella, Finnbeara, Hob, Hobgoblin, JD, Lilliputian, Mab, Oberon, Puck, Titania, Tom Thumb, bad boy, bad fairy, bad peri, banshee, booger, brat, brownie, buffoon, bugger, cluricaune, cutup, devil, deviling, devilkin, diablotin, dwarf, enfant terrible, erlking, fairy, fairy queen, fay, funmaker, gamin, gnome, goblin, gremlin, hob, holy terror, homunculus, hood, hoodlum, hooligan, imp, joker, jokester, juvenile delinquent, knave, kobold, leprechaun, little devil, little monkey, little rascal, manikin, midge, midget, minx, mischief, mischief-maker, ouphe, peewee, peri, pip-squeak, pixie, poltergeist, pooka, practical joker, prankster, puca, puck, punk, punk kid, pwca, pygmy, rapscallion, rascal, rogue, rowdy, ruffian, runt, scamp, scapegrace, shrimp, spoiled brat, sprite, sylph, sylphid, tokoloshe, urchin, wag, wart, whippersnapper, young devil