fairy

English Online Dictionary. What means fairy‎? What does fairy mean?

English

Alternative forms

• faery, faëry
• faerie, faërie
• færie (archaic, nonstandard)
• fairie

Etymology

From Middle English faierie, fairie, from Old French faerie, from fae + -erie, from Vulgar Latin *Fāta (“goddess of fate”), from Latin fātum (“fate”). Equivalent to fey +‎ -ry.

Attested in English from about 1300, first in the sense of "enchantment, illusion, dream" ("that thou herdest is fairye") and shortly thereafter "realm of the fays, fairy-land" and "the inhabitants of fairyland, collectively". The re-interpretation of the term as a countable noun denoting individual inhabitants of fairy-land can be traced to the 1390s, but became common only in the 16th century, perhaps due to reinterpreting phrases like faerie knight.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfɛːɹi/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈfeːɹi/
• (General American) enPR: fârʹē
  • (Mary–marry–merry distinction) IPA^(key): /ˈfɛə̯ɹi/
  • (Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /ˈfɛɹi/
• Rhymes: -ɛəɹi
• Homophone: ferry (in accents with the Mary-marry-merry merger)

Noun

fairy (countable and uncountable, plural fairies)

1. (uncountable, obsolete) The realm of faerie; enchantment, illusion.
2. A mythical being with magical powers, known in many sizes and descriptions, although often depicted in modern illustrations only as a small sprite with gauze-like wings, and revered in some modern forms of paganism.
3. An enchantress, or creature of overpowering charm.
4. (Britain, obsolete, colloquial) An attractive young woman.
5. (Northern England, US, derogatory, colloquial) A male homosexual, especially one who is effeminate.
6. A member of two species of hummingbird in the genus Heliothryx.
7. A legendary Chinese immortal.

   Synonyms: xian, immortal

Synonyms

• (supernatural creature): fay, fey, fae, sprite; see also goblin (hostile)
• (male homosexual): fag (US), faggot (US), poof (UK), queen

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

fairy (comparative more fairy, superlative most fairy)

1. Like a fairy; fanciful, whimsical, delicate.
   • ….—a large cashmere shawl, with its border of roses, thrown carelessly on a chair—a crimson cushion, where lay sleeping a Blenheim dog, almost small enough to have passed through the royal ring in that most fairy tale of the White Cat:—all bespoke a lady's room.

References

Spanish

Etymology

From genericized trademark Fairy.

Noun

fairy m (uncountable)

1. (Spain) washing-up liquid, dish soap

   Synonyms: lavavajillas, lavavajillas líquido