pixie
Americannoun
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a fairy or sprite, especially a mischievous one.
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a small, pert, or mischievous person.
adjective
noun
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.
Viewers are more receptive to marketing messages when they serve a compelling story, according to Jonas Barnes, founder and chief executive officer of production firm Pixie USA, which made “The Golden Pear Affair” for P&G.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
A custom metal hood by Practice Fabrication, powder-coated the color of a Pixie tangerine, adds a sense of fun.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025
“I feel like it's got all the things that you want in a Christmas film,” adds Pixie Lott, who plays Suter's on-screen wife Mary Crachett.
From BBC • Nov. 8, 2025
So the woman nicknamed Pixie became a signaler.
From Seattle Times • May 30, 2024
Pixie, Bobby Gene and I glanced at each other.
From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
