definitions

leprechaun

[ lep-ruh-kawn, -kon ]
/ ˈlɛp rəˌkɔn, -ˌkɒn /
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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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RELATED WORDS

pixie, fairy, gnome, brownie, fay, sprite, elfin

Nearby words

leporine, lepothrix, leppard, leppy, lepra, leprechaun, leprechaunism, leprechauns, leprid, leproma, lepromatous

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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

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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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012