tooth fairy

American  

[tooth fair-ee] / ˈtuθ ˌfɛər i /

noun

1. a fairy credited with leaving a child money or a small gift in exchange for a baby tooth that has fallen out and been placed under the child's pillow at night.

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tooth fairy Idioms  

1. A mythical source of bounty, as in So who will finance this venture—the tooth fairy? This expression refers to the fairy credited with leaving money under a child's pillow in place of a baby tooth that has fallen out, a practice popular with American parents since the first half of the 1900s.

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Example Sentences

Some day, decades after their final visit from the tooth fairy, I'd like to think my children may thank me for what they don't find tucked in an envelope in a long forgotten drawer.

From Salon

Gerstler’s witty collection channels various characters — the tooth fairy, a lost doll — to celebrate “shrewd, / ingenious, difficult women, prodigal daughters / and wisecracking wives.”

From New York Times

She saved quarters and dimes, from the tooth fairy and birthdays and chores, until she had enough to buy the book, the first she had ever bought with her own money.

From Seattle Times

There were days I was not inspired to sort through the receipts for my wedding reception or a tooth fairy door hanger that still had a baby tooth in it.

From Washington Post

“It’s more than the tooth fairy gives,” she said.

From Washington Times