Link Centre Dictionary

elfin

el·fin

UK/ˈɛlfɪn/ US/ˈɛlfɪn/ uncommon

adjective

1.

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
Synonyms
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2.

small and delicate

  • “she was an elfin creature--graceful and delicate”
  • “obsessed by things elfin and small”
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3.

relating to or made or done by or as if by an elf

  • “elfin bells”
  • “all the little creatures joined in the elfin dance”
4.

usually good-naturedly mischievous

  • “perpetrated a practical joke with elfin delight”
  • “elvish tricks”
Synonyms
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Origin

From Middle English elven, from Old English elfen, ælfen (“nymph, spirit, fairy”), feminine of elf, ælf (“elf”), equivalent to elf + -in. Cognate with Middle High German elbinne (“a fairy, nymph”).

Phrases

  • elfin myzomela
  • elfin saddle
  • elfin safety
  • elfin wood
  • Williams elfin facies syndrome

Related words

Pertaining to

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.