leprechaun

[ lep-ruh-kawn, -kon ]
/ ˈlɛp rəˌkɔn, -ˌkɒn /

noun Irish Folklore.

a dwarf or sprite.
a conventionalized literary representation of this figure as a little old man who will reveal the location of a hidden crock of gold to anyone who catches him.

Origin of leprechaun

1595–1605; < Irish leipreachán, lucharachán, MIr luchrapán, lupra(c)cán, metathesized forms of Old Irish lúchorp(án), equivalent to lú- small + corp body (< Latin corpus) + -án diminutive suffix

Words nearby leprechaun

leporine, lepothrix, leppard, leppy, lepra, leprechaun, leprechaunism, leprechauns, leprid, leproma, lepromatous

Words related to leprechauns

pixie, fairy, gnome, brownie, fay, sprite, elfin

Example sentences from the Web for leprechauns

British Dictionary definitions for leprechauns

leprechaun
/ (ˈlɛprəˌkɔːn) /

noun

(in Irish folklore) a mischievous elf, often believed to have a treasure hoard

Word Origin for leprechaun

C17: from Irish Gaelic leipreachān, from Middle Irish lūchorpān, from lū small + corp body, from Latin corpus body

Cultural definitions for leprechauns

leprechauns

In the folklore of Ireland, little men who resemble elves. Supposedly, leprechauns can reveal — but only to someone clever enough to catch them — the location of buried treasure, typically a crock of gold hidden at the end of the rainbow.