leprechaun
/ˈlɛprəkɔːn
/noun
(In Irish folklore) a small, mischievous sprite.In fact, all I knew about Celtic folklore consisted of one silly story about a leprechaun....
- And tomorrow the sky will be pink and filled with flying leprechauns and fairies.
- You are likely to see queens, princesses, leprechauns, angels, devils and a mixture of all sorts.
Synonyms
pixie, goblin, elf, sprite, fairy, gnome, imp, brownie, puck, devil;
(leprechauns) the little people
Origin
Early 17th century: from Irish leipreachán, based on Old Irish luchorpán, from lu 'small' + corp 'body'.
The name of the small, mischievous sprite of Irish folklore is based on old Irish words meaning ‘small body’. The spelling of Irish has always been a mystery to the uninitiated: when the leprechaun first appeared in English literature in the 17th century, it was named lubrican; the modern form dates from the 19th century.