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fae

American  
[fey] / feɪ /

plural noun

  1. a plural of fairy.

    the lands of the fae.


noun

plural

faes
  1. Also called faerie.  (in modern fantasy fiction) fairy.

    A werewolf would never strike out at a fae, unless the pack were attacked.

fae British  
/ feɪ /

preposition

  1. a Scot word for from

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does fae mean? Fae is a Scottish preposition that means "from."English is spoken differently in different places, and the Scottish dialect (called Scots) comes with some of its own words.Example: Mary asked James, “Whaur are ye fae?” meaning “Where are you from?”

Related Words

See fairy.

Etymology

Origin of fae

First recorded in 1350–1400; fay 1 ( def. ); fairy ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Zardoya’s yearning for a love lost crescendoes, and is most devastating, in the piano ballad “Back to You”; but it seems as though even her darkest, most melancholic moments are touched by the fae.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2025

There is something of the fae folk about Mae Martin, at least onscreen — the big blue eyes, the short blond fluff of hair, the nonbinary grace.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2025

In exchange for their lives, the fae are expected to refrain from flying or aspiring to be on equal social footing with humans.

From Salon • Aug. 29, 2019

Photo by Jan Thijs / Amazon Prime Studios The racial narrative weaves throughout the show as Philo investigates a series of murders of fae that his superiors would rather just ignore.

From The Verge • Aug. 15, 2019

Their high cheekbones shimmered with silver fae dust, a magic enhancer, and their long purple hair flowed in shiny waves.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega