leprechaun
[ lep-ruh-kawn, -kon ]
/ ˈlɛp rəˌkɔn, -ˌkɒn /
noun Irish Folklore.
a dwarf or sprite.
a conventionalized literary representation of this figure as a little old man who will reveal the location of a hidden crock of gold to anyone who catches him.
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Origin of leprechaun
1595–1605; <Irish leipreachán, lucharachán, MIr luchrapán, lupra(c)cán, metathesized forms of Old Irish lúchorp(án), equivalent to lú- small + corp body (<Latin corpus) + -án diminutive suffix
Words nearby leprechaun
leporine, lepothrix, Leppard, leppy, LEPRA, leprechaun, leprechaunism, leprechauns, leprid, leproma, lepromatous
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for leprechaun
British Dictionary definitions for leprechaun
leprechaun
/ (ˈlɛprəˌkɔːn) /
noun
(in Irish folklore) a mischievous elf, often believed to have a treasure hoard
Word Origin for leprechaun
C17: from Irish Gaelic leipreachān, from Middle Irish lūchorpān, from lū small + corp body, from Latin corpus body
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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