- sylph
- noun /sɪlf/a) A wood nymph.
, "Her heart fluttered with expectationher step was buoyant with hope, and she sprung into the carriage with the lightness of a sylph." — Mary Brunton (1778-1818), Self-Control: A Novel
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sylph
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Sylph — (also called sylphid) is a mythological creature in the Western tradition. The term originates in Paracelsus, who describes sylphs as invisible beings of the air, his elementals of air. There is no substantial mythos associated with them. Ancient … Wikipedia
Sylph — Обложка первого номера журнала Sylph. Специализация: манга … Википедия
Sylph — Sylph, n. [F. sylphe, m., fr. Gr. ? a kind of grub, beetle, or moth; so called by Paracelsus.] 1. An imaginary being inhabiting the air; a fairy. [1913 Webster] 2. Fig.: A slender, graceful woman. [1913 Webster] 3. (Zo[ o]l.) Any one of several… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
sylph — sylph; sylph·ic; sylph·id; … English syllables
sylph|id — «SIHL fihd», noun. a little or young sylph. ╂[< French sylphide < sylphe sylph < New Latin sylphes sylphs] … Useful english dictionary
sylph — [sılf] n [Date: 1600 1700; : Modern Latin; Origin: sylphus; probably an invented word] 1.) literary an attractively thin woman 2.) an imaginary female creature who lived in the air, according to ancient stories … Dictionary of contemporary English
sylph — [ sılf ] noun count 1. ) LITERARY a woman or girl who is thin, delicate, and graceful 2. ) a female spirit in ancient stories who lived in the air … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
sylph — 1650s, from Mod.L. sylphes (pl.), coined 16c. by Paracelsus (1493 1541), originally referring to any race of spirits inhabiting the air, described as being mortal but lacking a soul. Paracelsus word seems to be an arbitrary coinage, but perhaps… … Etymology dictionary
sylph — ► NOUN 1) an imaginary spirit of the air. 2) a slender woman or girl. DERIVATIVES sylphlike adjective. ORIGIN Latin sylphes (plural), perhaps from sylvestris of the woods + nympha nymph … English terms dictionary
sylph — [silf] n. [ModL sylphus, coined (prob. by PARACELSUS Philippus Aureolus) < ? L sylva, silva (see SYLVAN) + nympha,NYMPH] 1. in Paracelsus s alchemical system, any of a class of mortal, soulless beings supposed to inhabit the air 2. a slender,… … English World dictionary
sylph — UK [sɪlf] / US noun [countable] Word forms sylph : singular sylph plural sylphs 1) literary a woman or girl who is thin, delicate, and graceful 2) a female spirit in ancient stories who lived in the air … English dictionary
