| Definitions | | sylph |
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noun
- A wood nymph.
- The elemental being of air, usually female.
- A slender 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 ." — Mary Brunton (1778-1818), Self-Control: A Novel
Etymology: First attested in 1657. From sylphesLatin, sylphes, coined by w:Paracelsus, Paracelsus in the 16th century. The coinage may derive from sylvaLatin, sylva and nymphaLatin, nympha.
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Full Definition of sylph
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