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

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

This along, with the Lucky Charms cereal mascot Lucky, contributed to American culture's conception of green-wearing and cheerful leprechauns with pots of gold, according to National Geographic. —Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 16 Mar. 2024

There have been some interesting moments in his returns to Boston; he’s been routinely booed and had a water bottle thrown at him, while he’s been fined for making an obscene gesture and raised ire by stomping on the Celtics’ leprechaun logo at midcourt following a Brooklyn playoff win there. —Tim Reynolds, Hartford Courant, 31 May 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