FAIRY

fairy, faery, faerie, fay, sprite

(noun) a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers

fagot, faggot, fag, fairy, nance, pansy, queen, queer, poof, poove, pouf

(noun) offensive term for a homosexual man

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

fairy (countable and uncountable, plural fairies)

(uncountable, obsolete) The realm of faerie; enchantment, illusion.

A mythical being with magical powers, known in many sizes and descriptions, although often depicted in modern illustrations only as a small sprite with gauze-like wings, and revered in some modern forms of paganism.

An enchantress, or creature of overpowering charm.

(Northern England, US, derogatory, colloquial) A male homosexual, especially one who is effeminate.

A member of two species of hummingbird in the genus Heliothryx.

Synonyms

• (supernatural creature): fay, fey, fae, sprite; see also goblin (hostile)

• (male homosexual): fag (US), faggot (US), poof (UK), queen

Adjective

fairy

Like a fairy; fanciful, whimsical, delicate.

Source: Wiktionary


Fair"y, n.; pl. Fairies. Etym: [OE. fairie, faierie, enchantment, fairy folk, fairy, OF. faerie enchantment, F. féer, fr. LL. Fata one of the goddesses of fate. See Fate, and cf. Fay a fairy.] [Written also faëry.]

1. Enchantment; illusion. [Obs.] Chaucer. The God of her has made an end, And fro this worlde's fairy Hath taken her into company. Gower.

2. The country of the fays; land of illusions. [Obs.] He [Arthur] is a king y-crowned in Fairy. Lydgate.

3. An imaginary supernatural being or spirit, supposed to assume a human form (usually diminutive), either male or female, and to meddle for good or evil in the affairs of mankind; a fay. See Elf, and Demon. The fourth kind of spirit [is] called the Fairy. K. James. And now about the caldron sing, Like elves and fairies in a ring. Shak.

5. An enchantress. [Obs.] Shak. Fairy of the mine, an imaginary being supposed to inhabit mines, etc. German folklore tells of two species; one fierce and malevolent, the other gentle, See Kobold. No goblin or swart fairy of the mine Hath hurtful power over true virginity. Milton.

Fair"y, a.

1. Of or pertaining to fairies.

2. Given by fairies; as, fairy money. Dryden. Fairy bird (Zoöl.), the Euoropean little tern (Sterna minuta); -- called also sea swallow, and hooded tern.

РFairy bluebird. (Zo̦l.) See under Bluebird.

РFairy martin (Zo̦l.), a European swallow (Hirrundo ariel) that builds flask-shaped nests of mud on overhanging cliffs.

– Fairy rings or circles, the circles formed in grassy lawns by certain fungi (as Marasmius Oreades), formerly supposed to be caused by fairies in their midnight dances.

РFairy shrimp (Zo̦l.), a European fresh-water phyllopod crustacean (Chirocephalus diaphanus); -- so called from its delicate colors, transparency, and graceful motions. The name is sometimes applied to similar American species.

– Fairy stone (Paleon.), an echinite.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

20 April 2024

MULTIPHASE

(adjective) of an electrical system that uses or generates two or more alternating voltages of the same frequency but differing in phase angle


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