Definitions for ELF
ɛlfelf

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. elf, hob, gremlin, pixie, pixy, brownie, impnoun

   (folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous

2. extremely low frequency, ELFnoun

   below 3 kilohertz

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. elfnoun

   A mythical, supernatural being resembling but seen as distinct from humans.

2. elfnoun

   A luminous spirit presiding over nature and fertility and dwelling in the world of Álfheim (Elfland). Compare angel, nymph, fairy.

3. elfnoun

   Any of the magical, humanoid, typically forest-guarding races bearing some similarities to the Norse álfar (through Tolkien's Eldar).

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ELFnoun

   plural elves.

   Etymology: eilf, Welsh. William Baxter Gloss.

   1. A wandering spirit, supposed to be seen in wild unfrequented places.

   Through this house give glimmering light,
   By the dead and drowsie fire;
   Every elf, and fairy sprite,
   Hop as light as bird from briar. William Shakespeare, Mids. Night’s Dream.

   The king of elfs and little fairy queen
   Gambol’d on heaths, and danc’d on ev’ry green. Dryden.

   If e’er one vision touch’d thy infant thought,
   Of all the nurse and all the priest have taught;
   Of airy elves by moon-light shadow seen,
   The silver token, and the circled green. Alexander Pope, R. of the L.

   2. A devil.

   That we may angels seem, we paint them elves;
   And are but satires to set up ourselves. John Dryden, Ess. on Sat.

   However it was civil, an angel or elf;
   For he ne’er could have fill’d it so well of himself. Jonathan Swift.

2. To Elfverb

   To entangle hair in so intricate a manner, that it is not to be unravelled. This the vulgar have supposed to be the work of fairies in the night; and all hair so matted together, hath had the name of elflocks. Thomas Hanmer

   Etymology: from the noun.

   My face I’ll grime with filth,
   Blanket my loins, elf all my hair in knots. William Shakespeare, K. Lear.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Elf

   An elf (pl. elves) is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology, being mentioned in the Icelandic Poetic Edda and Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda. In medieval Germanic-speaking cultures, elves generally seem to have been thought of as beings with magical powers and supernatural beauty, ambivalent towards everyday people and capable of either helping or hindering them. However, the details of these beliefs have varied considerably over time and space and have flourished in both pre-Christian and Christian cultures. Sometimes elves are, like dwarfs, associated with craftmanship. Wayland the Smith embodies this feature. He is known under many names, depending on the language in which the stories were distributed. The names include Völund in Old Norse, Wēland in Anglo-Saxon and Wieland in German. The story of Wayland is also to be found in the Prose Edda. The word elf is found throughout the Germanic languages and seems originally to have meant 'white being'. However, reconstructing the early concept of an elf depends largely on texts written by Christians, in Old and Middle English, medieval German, and Old Norse. These associate elves variously with the gods of Norse mythology, with causing illness, with magic, and with beauty and seduction. After the medieval period, the word elf tended to become less common throughout the Germanic languages, losing out to alternative native terms like Zwerg ('dwarf') in German and huldra ('hidden being') in North Germanic languages, and to loan-words like fairy (borrowed from French into most of the Germanic languages). Still, beliefs in elves persisted in the early modern period, particularly in Scotland and Scandinavia, where elves were thought of as magically powerful people living, usually invisibly, alongside everyday human communities. They continued to be associated with causing illnesses and with sexual threats. For example, several early modern ballads in the British Isles and Scandinavia, originating in the medieval period, describe elves attempting to seduce or abduct human characters. With urbanisation and industrialisation in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, beliefs in elves declined rapidly (though Iceland has some claim to continued popular belief in elves). However, elves started to be prominent in the literature and art of educated elites from the early modern period onwards. These literary elves were imagined as tiny, playful beings, with William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream being a key development of this idea. In the eighteenth century, German Romantic writers were influenced by this notion of the elf and re-imported the English word elf into the German language. From the Romantic idea of elves came the elves of popular culture that emerged in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The "Christmas elves" of contemporary popular culture are a relatively recent creation, popularized during the late nineteenth century in the United States. Elves entered the twentieth-century high fantasy genre in the wake of works published by authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien; these re-popularised the idea of elves as human-sized and humanlike beings. Elves remain a prominent feature of fantasy media today.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. elf

   An elf is a mythical creature often depicted in folklore, fairy tales, and fantasy literature. They are usually characterized as small, humanlike beings with pointed ears, often possessing magical powers, ethereal beauty, and living in close connection with nature. In some cultures, they are portrayed as mischievous or malevolent, while in others, they are seen as benevolent protectors. The depiction of elves varies greatly across different cultures and types of media.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Elfnoun

   an imaginary supernatural being, commonly a little sprite, much like a fairy; a mythological diminutive spirit, supposed to haunt hills and wild places, and generally represented as delighting in mischievous tricks

2. Elfnoun

   a very diminutive person; a dwarf

3. Elfverb

   to entangle mischievously, as an elf might do

4. Elf

   of Elves

5. Etymology: [AS. lf, ylf; akin to MHG. alp, G. alp nightmare, incubus, Icel. lfr elf, Sw. alf, elfva; cf. Skr. bhu skillful, artful, rabh to grasp. Cf. Auf, Oaf.]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Elf

   An elf is a type of supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves are first attested in Old English and Old Norse texts and are prominent in traditional British and Scandinavian folklore. Elves were originally thought of as ambivalent beings with certain magical abilities capable of helping or hindering humans, but in later traditions became increasingly sinister and were believed to afflict humans and livestock in various ways. In early modern folklore they became associated with the fairies of Romance culture. The Romanticist movement revived literary interest in folk beliefs and culture, and elves entered the 20th-century high fantasy genre in the wake of works published by authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien. The "Christmas elves" of contemporary popular culture are of relatively recent tradition, popularized during the late 19th century in the United States, in publications such as Godey's Lady's Book.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Elf

   elf, n. in European folklore, a supernatural being, generally of human form but diminutive size, more malignant than a fairy: a dwarf: a tricky being:—(pl.) Elves.—v.t. (Shak.) of the hair, to entangle.—n. Elf′-child, a changeling, or a child supposed to have been left by elves in place of one stolen by them.—adj. Elf′in, of or relating to elves.—n. a little elf: a child.—adjs. Elf′ish, Elv′an, Elv′ish, elf-like, mischievous: tricky: disguised.—n. Elf′-land, the land of the elves or fairies.—n.pl. Elf′-locks (Shak.) locks of hair clotted together, supposed to have been done by elves.—ns. Elf′-shot, Elf′-bolt, Elf′-ar′row, an arrow-head of flint or stone. [A.S. ælf; cf. Ice. álfr, Sw. elf.]

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. elf

   Song lyrics by elf -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by elf on the Lyrics.com website.

2. ELF

   What does ELF stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the ELF acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ELF

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Elf is ranked #141140 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
   
   The Elf surname appeared 118 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Elf.
   
   93.2% or 110 total occurrences were White.

Matched Categories

1. • Fairy
   • Folklore
   • Radio Frequency

Anagrams for ELF »

1. EFL

How to pronounce ELF?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say ELF in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of ELF in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of ELF in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of ELF in a Sentence

1. James Ramsey:

   I am a little long in the tooth to be dressed up like some forest elf crawling around stalking 'hogs but it is just as fun as I remembered it,' i have a good time and the farmers get rid of a pest. As you look at the soybean fields, you'll see what we call 'ice cream cones.' The point of the ice cream cone is where the groundhog's burrow is. He'll eat in a semicircle out from his burrow. Groundhogs love eating fresh soybeans coming out of the ground.

2. Hayley Garbutt:

   I get all of my family to put in before I go and do the shop, this year I spent $ 388 online at Morrisons, doing the big shop and making sure I had a variety of things in. ( Caters News Agency) Hayley Garbutt, Hayley Garbutt, charges about $ 45-a-head for a seat at her Christmas dinner table, the Sun reports. Her guests include her three children, their partners and her four grandchildren. She also invites some friends as well. I get all of my family to put in before I go and do the shop, she told the Sun. This year I spent $ 388 online at Morrisons, doing the big shop and making sure I had a variety of things in. But its not that Im being tight - it means I get to spend more in other aspects then too like presents - this year the tree has so many presents stacked around it, that you cant even see it. WOMAN SHARES HUSBANDS ELF ON THE SHELF KITCHEN-WRAPPING PRANK : 2 HOURS LATER AND A DIVORCE ON THE CARDS So, while her family has to pay to eat dinner, Hayley Garbutt makes sure that they get their moneys worth.

3. Matt Groening:

   Love is a perky elf dancing a merry little jig, then suddenly he turns on you with a miniature machine gun.

4. Ed Asner:

   It all blends into each other, ’Rich Man, Poor Man’ was an epiphany for me. ‘Elf’ was a delight. ‘Up’ was an unbelievable stroke. I think it ranks up at the top for Pixar. and it certainly was a wonderful shot in my arm and butt as to my career, but ‘Elf’ and ‘Up,’ I am down to single syllable names these days.

5. Dobby:

   Dobby has no master, Dobby is a free elf.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=ELF
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Elf
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=ELF
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elf
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ELF
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=ELF
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=ELF
9. ^ Surnames Frequency by Census Records
   https://www.census.gov/topics/population/genealogy/data/2010_surnames.html