gremlin

gremlins

A gremlin is a mischievous mythical creature that's said to cause trouble to machinery, particularly in airplanes. When you're a nervous flyer, the last thing you want to think about is gremlins messing with the plane's engines.

The word gremlin first appeared in print in 1929. It emerged from the U.K.'s Royal Air Force aviator slang (possibly influenced by goblin), and it became especially popular during World War II. Gremlins were described as tricksters that could be blamed for engine malfunctions and other mysterious, unexplained mechanical problems. Gremlin was also the name of a Marvel Comics character and a 1970s AMC car, and Gremlins was a popular 1984 film.

Definitions of gremlin
  1. noun
    (folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous
    synonyms: brownie, elf, hob, imp, pixie, pixy
    see moresee less
    types:
    leprechaun
    a mischievous elf in Irish folklore
    sandman
    an elf in fairy stories who sprinkles sand in children's eyes to make them sleepy
    type of:
    faerie, faery, fairy, fay, sprite
    a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
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Word Family

Vocabulary lists containing gremlin

Unknown Origins

Most words in the English language can be traced back etymologically to countless languages and many of them have had a long and winding journey to finally end up in our dictionaries. But here's a list of words that simply seem to have appeared out of thin air.

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