gremlin

[ grem-lin ]

noun

1. a mischievous invisible being, said by airplane pilots in World War II to cause engine trouble and mechanical difficulties.
2. 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.

gremlin

/ ˈɡrɛmlɪn /

noun

1. an imaginary imp jokingly said to be responsible for malfunctions in machinery
2. any mischievous troublemaker

Word History and Origins

Origin of gremlin¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of gremlin¹

C20: perhaps a corruption of goblin

Synonym Study

See goblin.

Example Sentences

Whatever psychological gremlin gave birth to Snow’s split vision of science and the humanities, the novelist and scientist saw them as equals.

From Nautilus

One of those Gremlins latched onto and was loaded inside the C-130.

From Popular-Science

With Gremlins able to land on airborne carriers, like C-130 transport planes, the ability to take on new weapons could keep those same drones fighting for longer.

From Popular-Science

It was the kind that gets louder with every glare, like you’re feeding a Gremlin and making the nuisance more powerful.

From The Daily Beast

In the game, characters try to avoid things like stress monsters and gremlins, which is a humorous take on the anxieties of 2020.

From TechCrunch

You can put mag wheels on a Gremlin,” commented one long time Michigan observer, “but that doesn't make it a Mustang.

From The Daily Beast

“You can put mag wheels on a Gremlin,” comments one long-time Michigan observer.

From The Daily Beast

Whatever the gremlin was, it wasn't exactly an auspicious start for a fifty million-mile hop.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• goblin