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• genie
  genie

  noun

  jinn.
• Genie
  Genie

  noun

  an award given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television in recognition of Canadian cinematic achievements

genie

American  

[jee-nee] / ˈdʒi ni /

noun

genies plural

1. Islamic Mythology. jinn.

2. a spirit, often appearing in human form, that when summoned by a person carries out the wishes of the summoner.

3. any spirit; demon.

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genie ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒiːnɪ /

noun

1. (in fairy tales and stories) a servant who appears by magic and fulfils a person's wishes

2. another word for jinni

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Genie ² British  

/ ˈdʒiːnɪ /

noun

1. an award given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television in recognition of Canadian cinematic achievements

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• genies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of genie

1645–55; < French génie < Latin genius; see genius

Explanation

A genie is a mythological spirit. In stories, most genies are described as magical beings that live inside lamps or bottles and grant people's wishes. The word genie comes from the French génie, a word that was coined for the French translation of the book Arabian Nights and comes from the Arabic jinni. Genies were a staple of ancient Arabian myths, and later of Islamic folktales. If you've ever seen the movie Aladdin, you know the popular version of a genie, who appears to grant wishes after being summoned from an oil lamp.