goblin
See also: GOBLin
English
Etymology
Middle English, from Lua error in Module:parameters at line 159: Parameter 2 should be a valid language, etymology language or family code; the value ONF. is not valid. See WT:LOL, WT:LOL/E and WT:LOF. (compare Normand goubelin, Walloon gobelin), possibly a blend of Old Dutch *kobeholdo (“goblin”) (compare Dutch kabouter, German Kobold) and Late Latin cobalus (“mountain sprite”), from Ancient Greek κόβαλος (kóbalos, “rogue, knave; goblin”).
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 159: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value US is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈɡɑb.lɪn/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 159: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value UK is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈɡɒb.lɪn/
Audio (US): (file) - Homophone: GOBLin
Noun
goblin (plural goblins)
- One of various hostile supernatural creatures, now especially (fantasy literature) a malevolent and grotesque diminutive humanoid.
- c. 1620 anonymous, “Tom o’ Bedlam’s Song” in Giles Earle his Booke (British Museum, Additional MSS. 24, 665):
- From yͤ hagg & hungry Goblin,
yͭ into raggs would rend yee,
& yͤ spirit yͭ stand’s by yͤ naked man,
in yͤ booke of moones defend yee
- From yͤ hagg & hungry Goblin,
- 1872, George MacDonald, The Princess and the Goblin, page 50,
- " […] If he had struck a stroke more to the side just here," said the goblin, tapping the very stone, as it seemed to Curdie, against which his head lay, "he would have been through; but he's a couple of yards past it now, and if he follow the lode it will be a week before it leads him in. […] "
- 2006, Charlotte Bishop, Norty: The Chosen Ones, page 187,
- At last the goblins had a chance to rid themselves of one of the troublesome defenders, and two goblin warriors snatched the opportunity.
- 2010, Thom L. Nichols, War: Return of the Elves, Part 1, page 37,
- The goblin shifted the two younger ones closer to him. It looked like he was hiding behind them, using them as a shield.
- The goblin looked pure evil. His eyes were brown.
- 2010, D. S. Macleod, The Middle Times: Rise of the Goblin King, page 229,
- I shall send another entourage of goblins back here to Desput with the goblins’ new ally the Pixy! These creatures deserve the same respect as any other goblin.
- 2013 June 22, “Snakes and ladders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 76:
- Risk is everywhere. From tabloid headlines insisting that coffee causes cancer (yesterday, of course, it cured it) to stern government warnings about alcohol and driving, the world is teeming with goblins. For each one there is a frighteningly precise measurement of just how likely it is to jump from the shadows and get you.
- c. 1620 anonymous, “Tom o’ Bedlam’s Song” in Giles Earle his Booke (British Museum, Additional MSS. 24, 665):
Synonyms
- hobgoblin; bug, buggard, bugbear, bog, bogey, bogy, bogie, boggard, boggart, baggard, bogle, boggle, bugaboo, bug-a-boo; elf, kobold, sprite, fairy, fay, fey, fae, faerie, puck, hob (sometimes distinguished, especially in fantasy literature)
- See also Thesaurus:goblin
Derived terms
- goblette (a female goblin)
- goblin shark
- goblin spider(Please check if this is already defined at target. Replace
{{vern}}
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Translations
hostile diminutive humanoid in fantasy literature
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Anagrams
Polish
Pronunciation
Noun
Lua error in Module:zlw-lch-headword at line 338: Unrecognized Polish gender: m-an
Declension
Declension of goblin
Further reading
- goblin in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- Template:R:PWN
Serbo-Croatian
Noun
goblin m (Cyrillic spelling гоблин)
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English terms with homophones
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with quotations
- en:Fantasy
- en:Mythological creatures
- Polish 2-syllable words
- Polish terms with IPA pronunciation
- pl:Mythological creatures
- Serbo-Croatian lemmas
- Serbo-Croatian nouns
- Serbo-Croatian masculine nouns