sprite

English

Alternative forms

• spright (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• enPR: sprīt, IPA^(key): /spɹaɪt/
• Rhymes: -aɪt

Etymology

From Old French esprit (“spirit”).

Noun

sprite (plural sprites)

1. (mythology) A spirit; a soul; a shade; also, an apparition.
   • 1803, William Blake, Auguries of Innocence

     He who torments the chafer's sprite

     Weaves a bower in endless night.

2. (mythology) An elf; a fairy; a goblin.
3. The green woodpecker, or yaffle.
4. (computer graphics) A two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene.
5. An electrical discharge that occurs high above the cumulonimbus cloud of an active thunderstorm.
6. A spayed female ferret.

Synonyms

• (supernatural creature): See goblin (hostile)

Related terms

• sprightly

Translations

a spirit; a soul; a shade; also, an apparition

• Finnish: henki (fi)
• German: Geist (de) m, Erscheinung (de) f, Seele (de) f
• Greek: πνεύμα (el) n (pnévma), δαιμονικό (el) n (daimonikó)

• Irish: sprid (ga) f
• Russian: дух (ru) m (dux), душа́ (ru) f (dušá) (soul), при́зрак (ru) m (prízrak) (ghost), привиде́ние (ru) n (prividénije) (apparition)

an elf; a fairy; a goblin

• Catalan: follet (ca) m
• Finnish: keiju (fi), haltija (fi)
• German: Kobold (de) m, Elf (de) m, Elfe (de) m, f, Elfin f
• Maori: rangipokohu

• Russian: эльф (ru) m (elʹf) (elf), фе́я (ru) f (féja) (fairy), го́блин (ru) m (góblin) (goblin), домово́й (ru) m (domovój) (Slavic mythology), ле́ший (ru) (léšij) (Slavic mythology), спрайт (ru) m (sprajt)
• Scottish Gaelic: luspardan m
• Swahili: kizimwi

the green woodpecker, or yaffle — see green woodpecker

a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene

• Finnish: sprite (fi)
• German: Sprite (de) m

• Russian: спрайт (ru) m (sprajt)
• Swedish: sprite (sv) c

electrical discharges that occur high above the cumulonimbus cloud of an active thunderstorm

• Finnish: keijusalama
• German: Kobold (de) m

• Russian: спрайт (ru) m (sprajt)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} duendecillo m

Anagrams

• esprit
• priest
• ripest
• sitrep
• stripe