gremlin
Americannoun
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a mischievous invisible being, said by airplane pilots in World War II to cause engine trouble and mechanical difficulties.
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any cause of trouble, difficulties, etc., especially in a mechanical, electrical, computer, or other system.
A loose wire was the gremlin that blew out the lights.
noun
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an imaginary imp jokingly said to be responsible for malfunctions in machinery
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any mischievous troublemaker
Related Words
See goblin.
Etymology
Origin of gremlin
First recorded in 1925–30; of obscure origin; in its earliest attested use, an RAF term for a low-ranking officer or enlisted man assigned the most onerous duties; later development perhaps affected by phonetic resemblance to goblin
Explanation
A gremlin is a mischievous mythical creature that's said to cause trouble to machinery, particularly in airplanes. When you're a nervous flyer, the last thing you want to think about is gremlins messing with the plane's engines. The word gremlin first appeared in print in 1929. It emerged from the U.K.'s Royal Air Force aviator slang (possibly influenced by goblin), and it became especially popular during World War II. Gremlins were described as tricksters that could be blamed for engine malfunctions and other mysterious, unexplained mechanical problems. Gremlin was also the name of a Marvel Comics character and a 1970s AMC car, and Gremlins was a popular 1984 film.
Vocabulary lists containing gremlin
A Mythical Menagerie
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Unknown Origins
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The School for Invisible Boys
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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.
I scoop it up with Breton crackers, usually while standing at the fridge like a little gremlin.
From Salon • Jul. 8, 2025
The success of "goth gremlin witch" Bambie Thug at last year's Eurovision has conjured a veritable coven of imitators in 2025.
From BBC • May 9, 2025
“PS you’re giving off super gremlin energy. Not in a good way,” Del Rey added.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2023
He wrote on Instagram, "I knew the game was still going I left cause I’m super gremlin."
From Fox News • Jan. 3, 2022
Nevertheless, the commander was not prepared to risk a computer crash in the middle of an alert, and so doused his cigar in the coffee cup of a passing gremlin.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
