noun
sylph
Sylph (noun) means a spirit believed to live in the air, invisible to human eyes.
noun
1
A spirit believed to live in the air, invisible to human eyes.
"Necromancy meant originally the conjuring up the souls of the dead, and later included the conjuring of all sorts of inhuman spirits such as sylphs, giants, and djinn."
— Rupert Gleadow, Magic and Divination (1941)
2
A spirit associated with the element of air, typically female.
3
A slim woman or girl, typically graceful, sometimes suggesting she is of a more exalted standing than ordinary people.
4
A hummingbird, mostly dark green and blue, whose male has a long, forked tail.
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Etymology
First recorded in 1657. It comes from New Latin sylphes, coined by Paracelsus in the 16th century, possibly by combining Latin sylvestris ("of the woods") and nympha ("nymph"). It ultimately traces to the root silva ("woods, forest") and is related to sylvan. See further at Wikipedia.
Rhymes for sylph
See all rhymes for sylph →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of sylph?
"sylph" (noun) means a spirit believed to live in the air, invisible to human eyes.
What are the different meanings of sylph?
"sylph" has 3 main meanings: 1. A spirit believed to live in the air, invisible to human eyes; 2. A spirit associated with the element of air, typically female; 3. A slim woman or girl, typically graceful, sometimes suggesting she is of a more exalted standing than ordinary people.
