sylph

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[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

First attested in 1657. From New Latin sylphes, coined by Paracelsus in the 16th century. The coinage may derive from sylva and nympha.

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

sylph (plural sylphs)

  1. A wood nymph.
  2. The elemental being of air, usually female.
  3. A slender woman or girl, usually graceful and sometimes with the implication of sublime station over everyday people.
    • "Her heart fluttered with expectation---her 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

[edit] Translations

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