goblin
noun
[ ˈɡɒblɪn ]
• (in folklore and fantasy fiction) a mischievous, ugly creature resembling a dwarf.
Similar:
hobgoblin,
gnome,
dwarf,
troll,
imp,
elf,
sprite,
brownie,
fairy,
pixie,
kelpie,
leprechaun,
pooka,
bugbear,
hob,
Origin:
Middle English: from Old French gobelin, possibly related to German Kobold (see kobold) or to Greek kobalos ‘mischievous goblin’. In medieval Latin Gobelinus occurs as the name of a mischievous spirit, said to haunt Évreux in northern France in the 12th century.
