pixie
Americannoun
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pixies
plural
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a fairy or sprite, especially a mischievous one.
-
a small, pert, or mischievous person.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of pixie
First recorded in 1620–30; originally dialect (southwestern England) pixy, pigsy, pisky; origin uncertain
Explanation
A pixie is a mythical creature that resembles a mischievous fairy. If you spy some adorable little sprites in green pointed hats sneaking around the woods, you can bet that they're pixies. Pixies appear in folk and fairy tales from the southwest part of England, making minor mischief and dancing in groups. Today a pixie is more or less the same as a fairy or sprite, but older folktales describe conflicts (and even wars) between these groups. The root of the word pixie is a mystery — it may be related to the Swedish dialect pyske, "small fairy," but it's probably rooted in an unknown Celtic word.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A highlight: watching Tinkerbell sprinkle pixie dust on his infant twins during an evening parade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Seberg’s haircut in the original film, a super-short, blond pixie cut, rewrote fashion trends around the world and encapsulated a spirit of youthful, diffident insouciance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2025
She accessorised the look with a spiky beach blonde pixie cut and stylish eyeglasses.
From BBC ● May 5, 2025
For Knox, freedom has meant accepting a mantle that her young, manic pixie self could never have envisioned.
From Salon ● Apr. 14, 2025
“I think she more than lives beside them,” the pixie objects, looking at me.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Dominic: It’s a little like when Professor Lockhart released that swarm of Cornish pixies in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”: They’re everywhere and constantly in your face.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 21, 2023
Many of his clients have come seeking dramatically short cuts — shags, pixies and razored bobs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2022
The Moors are a wondrous, lush world bursting with glowing flowers, fairies, ogres, pixies and talking tree giants.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 14, 2020
"It's scarcely worth having a name for. I don't have a name for not believing in pixies."
From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2019
The pixies swarmed around me more than ever.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
