sylph en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /sɪlf/
- (US) audio
Etymology
First attested in 1657. From New Latin sylphes, coined by Paracelsus in the 16th century. The coinage may derive from Latin sylvestris (“of the woods”) and nympha (“nymph”). Ultimately from the root silva (“woods, forest”). Related to sylvan. More at Wikipedia.
Meanings
-
An invisible being of the air.
Necromancy meant originally the conjuring up the souls of the dead, and later included the conjuring of all sorts of inhuman spirits such as sylphs, giants, and djinn.
1941, Rupert Gleadow, Magic and Divination, page 125:Her heart fluttered with expectation—her step was buoyant with hope, and she sprung into the carriage with the lightness of a sylph.
1811, Mary Brunton, Self-Control:
- The elemental being of air, usually female.
- (broadly) A slender woman or girl, usually graceful and sometimes with the implication of sublime station over everyday people.
- Any of the mainly dark green and blue hummingbirds (genus Aglaiocercus), the male of which has a long forked tail.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sylphs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
sylphlike · sylphic · sylphish · sylphy
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (20)
fr sylphe (The elemental being of air) · it silfide (The elemental being of air) · pl sylfida (A slender girl) · it silfide (A slender girl) · mk ветроштина (The elemental being of air) · bg нежна девойка (A slender girl) · es sílfide (The elemental being of air) · eo silfino (The elemental being of air) · pt sílfide (The elemental being of air) · rif tasekkurt (A slender girl) · pl sylf (The elemental being of air) · sv sylf (The elemental being of air) · pl sylfida (The elemental being of air) · de Sylphide (A slender girl) · it silfo (The elemental being of air) · de Luftgeist (The elemental being of air) · pt silfo (The elemental being of air) · sv sylfid (A slender girl) · fr sylphide (The elemental being of air) · de Sylphe (The elemental being of air)