Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun In Irish folklore, a mischievous elflike creature or fairy who grants wishes or reveals the location of hidden treasure when captured.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Irish folklore) A small mischievous elf or spirit in Irish folklore; it is often depicted in literature as a dwarfish bearded old man; -- legend tells that if a leprechaun is captured, he will reveal the location of his hidden pot of gold.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun One of a race of elves who can reveal hidden treasure to those who catch it

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a mischievous elf in Irish folklore

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Irish Gaelic luprachán, alteration of Middle Irish luchrupán, from Old Irish luchorpán : luchorp (lú-, small; see legwh- in Indo-European roots + corp, body, from Latin corpus; see kwrep- in Indo-European roots) + -án, diminutive suff.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Irish leipreachán, luprachán, from Middle Irish luchrupán, from Old Irish luchorpán, from - “small” (Proto-Indo-European *legwh) + corp “body”, from Latin corpus

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Examples

Comments

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  • they once infested my house. disgusting little buggers.

    October 30, 2009

  • Jumped-up, shoe-duffing bog pixies that they are.

    October 30, 2009

  • I don't appreciate leprechauns.

    December 12, 2009

  • I can't read this word without thinking of Wayne Campbell. "I'm the leprechaun!"

    December 12, 2009