ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Sylph

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /sɪlf/ · Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Sylph is a noun meaning (mythology) An invisible being of the air.

Meaning

(mythology) An invisible being of the air.

More Meanings

  1. The elemental being of air, usually female.
  2. (by extension) A slender woman or girl, usually graceful and sometimes with the implication of sublime station over everyday people.
  3. (ornithology) Any of the mainly dark green and blue hummingbirds (genus Aglaiocercus), the male of which has a long forked tail.

Example Sentences

Her heart fluttered with expectation—her step was buoyant with hope, and she sprung into the carriage with the lightness of a sylph.
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.

Word Forms

Synonyms for sylph

Depending on context, synonyms include sylphid.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include nymph, sylvan, fairy, zephyrette, eidolon, skymaiden.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.