ELFIN Definition & Meaning

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elfin

[ el-fin ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

of or like an elf.
small and charmingly spritely, merry, or mischievous.

noun

an elf.

elfin

/ ˈɛ��ɪ�� /

adjective

of, relating to, or like an elf or elves
small, delicate, and charming

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of elfin¹

1560–70; alteration of Middle English elven elf, Old English elfen, æ��en nymph, equivalent to æ�� elf + -en feminine suffix (cognate with German -in ); æ�� cognate with German Alp nightmare, puck, Old Norse alfr elf

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Soon I was navigating the reading nooks and chef’s kitchens of an elfin cottage, a gothic coastal A-frame, a cozy “loch house” in the Scottish Highlands.

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Smiling his little elfin smile, he sometimes looks no older than that 11-year-old boy who had the world taken from him.

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"Chalamet is elfin and puckish, unworldly and possessed of a Paddingtonian innocence and charm - and a nice singing voice - without being insufferable," he wrote.

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With her elfin features and skinhead look she was one of pop music's most recognisable figures.

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Recognizable by her shaved head and elfin features, O’Connor began her career singing on the streets of Dublin and soon rose to international fame.

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