Added 10 October 2026
elfin
/ˈɛlfɪn/ adjective
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about elfin at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Suggestive of an elf in strangeness and otherworldliness.
thunderbolts quivered with elfin flares of heat lightning
-
Small and delicate.
she was an elfin creature--graceful and delicate
-
Relating to or made or done by or as if by an elf.
elfin bells
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”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)