Definition for elves (2 of 3)
elf
[ elf ]
/ ɛlf /
noun, plural elves [elvz] /ɛlvz/.
(in folklore) one of a class of preternatural beings, especially from mountainous regions, with magical powers, given to capricious and often mischievous interference in human affairs, and usually imagined to be a diminutive being in human form; sprite; fairy.
a diminutive person, especially a child.
a mischievous person, especially a child.
Origin of elf
before 1000; Middle English, back formation from elven, Old English elfen nymph (i.e., female elf), variant of ælfen; see elfin
Related forms
elf·like, adjectiveDefinition for elves (3 of 3)
elve
[ elv ]
/ ɛlv /
noun
an extremely dim, flattened, expanding, reddish glow briefly seen over a thunderstorm, due to electromagnetic pulses from intense lightning.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for elves
British Dictionary definitions for elves (1 of 3)
British Dictionary definitions for elves (2 of 3)
ELF
abbreviation for
extremely low frequency
British Dictionary definitions for elves (3 of 3)
elf
/ (ɛlf) /
noun plural elves (ɛlvz)
(in folklore) one of a kind of legendary beings, usually characterized as small, manlike, and mischievous
a mischievous or whimsical child
Derived Forms
elflike, adjectiveWord Origin for elf
Old English ælf; related to Old Norse elfr elf, Middle Low German alf incubus, Latin albus white
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Science definitions for elves
elve
[ ĕlv ]
An extremely dim, short-lived, expanding disk of reddish light above thunderstorms, believed to be caused by electromagnetic pulses from intense lightning in the lower ionosphere. Elves last less than a second and can be as wide as 500 km (310 mi) in diameter.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Culture definitions for elves
elves
Often small, mischievous creatures thought to have magical powers. Although some elves are friendly to humans, others are spiteful and destructive. Elves have long been a staple of folklore, from Germanic mythology to J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, in which the elves speak a special language called Elvish.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.