Goblin

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɡɒb.lɪn/

Definitions

1. A small, mischievous creature from folklore, typically depicted as grotesque or evil and often said to cause trouble or harm to humans
2. A diminutive, often malevolent mythical being from folklore, known for its mischief and trickery, frequently portrayed as grotesque and causing trouble for humans
3. A mythical being characterized by its small stature and malevolent nature, often involved in causing chaos and mischief among humans while being depicted in a grotesque manner

Etymology: The Greek word "kobalos" meant "rogue" or "knave," and it also meant a kind of mischievous sprite. Late Latin took it as "cobalus," a mountain sprite, and it crossed into Old Northern French as "gobelin," which is where English got its word. The French form is not a clean inheritance, though. It may also have blended with an Old Dutch word, "kobeholdo," related to modern Dutch "kabouter" and German "Kobold," so the trail runs through several languages at once. English already had a native word for such a creature, the Old English "pūca," which survives as "puck," the name of Shakespeare's mischievous fairy. The Middle English "gobelyn" pushed it aside. So the word for a household trickster came into English from a Greek insult for a scoundrel, passed through the Latin of the Middle Ages, and displaced an older English spirit name, leaving that older name only in the figure of Puck.

Synonyms: imp, sprite, elf, ogre, gremlin