leprechaun

noun

lep·​re·​chaun ˈle-prə-ˌkän 

-ˌkȯn

: a mischievous elf (see elf sense 1) of Irish folklore usually believed to reveal the hiding place of treasure if caught

leprechaunish

ˈle-prə-ˌkä-nish 

-ˌkȯ-

adjective

Synonyms

• brownie
• dwarf
• elf
• faerie
• faery
• fairy
• fay
• gnome
• goblin
• gremlin
• hobgoblin
• kobold
• pixie
• pixy
• puck
• sprite
• troll

Examples of leprechaun in a Sentence

the story that if you follow a rainbow to its end, you'll find a leprechaun's pot of gold

Recent Examples on the Web

In her 20s at the time, Aniston stars as a young woman living in a house haunted by an evil leprechaun. —James Mercadante, EW.com, 28 Oct. 2024

The possibility that such a thing still exists in our divided country seems as improbable as leprechauns, mermaids or gas under $3 a gallon. —Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2024

Kev rolls up his sleeves, revealing a faded tattoo of a leprechaun, an overflowing beer mug in his hand. —Jay Bulger, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2024

While leprechauns are usually small, make sure the footprints are big enough to be noticed. —Amanda Rock, Parents, 30 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Irish leipreachán

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

leprechaun

noun

lep·​re·​chaun ˈlep-rə-ˌkän 

-ˌkȯn

: a mischievous elf of Irish folklore that some believe will reveal where treasure is hidden if caught