elf

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“
But when the elf was almost out of the snare, the boy happened to think that he ought to have bargained for large estates, and all sorts of good things.

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Definitions (11)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun A small, often mischievous creature considered to have magical powers.
  2. noun A lively, mischievous child.
  3. noun A usually sprightly or mischievous or sometimes spiteful person.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (4)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (2)

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Examples (50)

  • Always that long spear kept Kelsey's strikes measured, though, the tip of his marvelous sword whipping across short of its mark as the elf was continually forced back on his heels. —  Spearwielder's Tale 3.htm
  • Norman figured the elf was his totem, and he was the elf's best friend on Earth. —  F ;SF - vol 100 issue 04 - April 2001
  • Not the dwarf and the elf But the elf is a weapons dealer. —  Death Gate Cycle 2 - Elven Star
  • She turned back to find Jenny-and the elf was already there, being carried right into die plunge. —  Demons Don't Dream
  • Grundy didn't dare go across the center, when the elf was doing it; they would meet, and Grundy would be the one stabbed, for the elf's reach was twice his own. —  Golem in the Gears
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Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English, from Old English ælf; see albho- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. Early modern English also elfe; from Middle English elf, elfe, alfe, plural elvene, alvene, from Anglo-Saxon ælf, plural ylfe, masculine, ælfen, elfen, in a very early form ælbin (usually in comp.), masculine, an elf, sprite, fairy, incubus, = Middle Dutch alf, Dutch elf = Middle Low German alf, Low German elf = Old High German alp, Middle High German alp (alb-), plural elbe, and G. alp, masculine, Middle High German elbe, feminine (German elf, masculine, elfe, feminine, from English elf), = Icelandic ālfr = Swedish alf, masculine, elfva, feminine, elf- (in comp.), plural elfvor = Danish alf, elver- (in comp.), an elf: a common Teutonic word; ult. origin unknown. From the Icelandic form ālfr, formerly alfr, is the doublet aulf, awf, also written auph, ouph, and usually oaf, q. v., now discriminated in senses. See erl-king.
  2. from elf, n., in allusion to the mischievousness ascribed to elves. Cf. elf-lock.
 

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/ɛlf/
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