fairy
Plural: fairies
Noun
- A mythical, small, winged being with magical powers.
- a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
- offensive term for an openly homosexual man
- The realm of faerie; enchantment, illusion.
- A mythical being of human form with magical powers, known in many sizes and descriptions, although often depicted in modern illustrations only as a small sprite with gauze-like wings, especially one that is female. Fairies are revered in some modern forms of paganism.
- An enchantress, or creature of overpowering charm.
- An attractive young woman.
- A male homosexual, especially one who is effeminate.
- An effeminate man or boy.
- A member of two species of hummingbird in the genus Heliothryx.
- A legendary Chinese immortal.
Adj
- Like a fairy; fanciful, whimsical, delicate.
Examples
- Playing ’FAIRY’ often feels like a magical act, especially on a triple-word score.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English faierie, fairie, from Old French faerie, from fae + -erie, from Latin fāta (“goddess of fate”). Equivalent to fay + -ry. Attested in English from about 1330, in King Alisaunder, 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.
Synonyms
faerie, faery, fag, faggot, fagot, fay, nance, pansy, poof, poove, pouf, queen, queer, sprite, fae, fey, goblin, immortal, xian
Scrabble Score: 11
fairy: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordfairy: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
fairy: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary