fairy
Meanings
noun
- The realm of faerie; enchantment, illusion.
- A mythical being of human form with magical powers, known in many sizes and descriptions, although often depicted in modern illustrations only as a small sprite with gauze-like wings, especially one that is female. Fairies are revered in some modern forms of paganism.
- An enchantress, or creature of overpowering charm.
- An attractive young woman.
- A male homosexual, especially one who is effeminate.
- An effeminate man or boy.
- A member of two species of hummingbird in the genus Heliothryx.
- A legendary Chinese immortal.
adj
- Like a fairy; fanciful, whimsical, delicate.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
From Middle English faierie, fairie, from Old French faerie, from fae + -erie, from Latin fāta (“goddess of fate”). Equivalent to fay + -ry. Attested in English from about 1330, in King Alisaunder, first in the sense of "enchantment, illusion, dream" ("that thou herdest is fairye") and shortly thereafter "realm of the fays, fairy-land" and "the inhabitants of fairyland, collectively". The re-interpretation of the term as a countable noun denoting individual inhabitants of fairy-land can be traced to the 1390s, but became common only in the 16th century, perhaps due to reinterpreting phrases like faerie knight.
Synonyms
Derived words
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