noun
Uncommon
sprite
spryt
Sprite (noun) means a small supernatural being, such as an elf or fairy, in folklore. Example: “The story described a mischievous sprite living in the forest.”
noun
1
A small supernatural being, such as an elf or fairy, in folklore.
"The story described a mischievous sprite living in the forest."
2
(computing) A small 2D image or animation used in video games and graphics.
"The programmer swapped in a new sprite for the character’s jump animation."
How to use sprite
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a magical folklore creature, or (in computing) a small image used to animate a game character.
Common pairings
forest sprite
game sprite
sprite sheet
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- sprites
- Past tense
- sprited
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The story described a mischievous _____ living in the forest.
Etymology
From Old French esprit ("spirit"), from Latin spiritus — a doublet of "spirit". The computer-graphics sense was coined at Texas Instruments in the late 1970s.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for sprite
See all rhymes for sprite →Frequently asked questions
What does “sprite” mean?
The word “sprite” means a small supernatural being, such as an elf or fairy, in folklore. In plain terms, either a magical folklore creature, or (in computing) a small image used to animate a game character.
How do you pronounce “sprite”?
“Sprite” is pronounced spryt (/spɹaɪt/ in IPA).
How do you use “sprite” in a sentence?
Here is “sprite” used in a sentence: “The story described a mischievous sprite living in the forest.”
What part of speech is “sprite”?
“Sprite” is a noun.
Where does the word “sprite” come from?
The word “sprite” dates back to around 1970 and comes from Latin. From Old French esprit ("spirit"), from Latin spiritus — a doublet of "spirit". The computer-graphics sense was coined at Texas Instruments in the late 1970s.
Is “sprite” a common word?
“Sprite” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “sprite” have?
“Sprite” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small supernatural being, such as an elf or fairy, in folklore.
