definitions

elfin

[ el-fin ]
/ ˈɛl fɪn /
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adjective

of or like an elf.
small and charmingly spritely, merry, or mischievous.

noun

an elf.

RELATED WORDS

delicate, devilish, disobedient, elfish, frolicsome, impish, little, minute, naughty, petite, playful, puckish, puny, slight, sprightly, tiny, misbehaving, prankish, rascally

Nearby words

elevon, elevsís, elf, elf owl, elf-cup, elfin, elfin forest, elfinwood, elfish, elfishly, elfland

Origin of elfin

1560–70; alteration of Middle English elven elf, Old English elfen, ælfen nymph, equivalent to ælf elf + -en feminine suffix (cognate with German -in); ælf cognate with German Alp nightmare, puck, Old Norse alfr elf
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

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British Dictionary definitions for elfin

elfin

/ (ˈɛlfɪn) /

adjective

of, relating to, or like an elf or elves
small, delicate, and charming
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