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 fairye, 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)
- (uncountable, obsolete) The realm of faerie; enchantment, illusion.
- 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.
- An enchantress, or creature of overpowering charm.
- (Britain, obsolete, colloquial) An attractive young woman.
- (Northern England, US, derogatory, colloquial) A male homosexual, especially one who is effeminate.
- A member of two species of hummingbird in the genus Heliothryx.
- 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)
- 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)
- (Spain) washing-up liquid, dish soap
- Synonyms: lavavajillas, lavavajillas líquido