Fafnir

noun

Faf·nir ˈfäv-nər

ˈfäf-,

-ˌnir

: a dragon in Norse mythology that guards the Nibelungs' gold hoard until slain by Sigurd

Word History

Etymology

Old Norse Fāfnir

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of Fafnir was in 1850

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

faff

Fafnir

FAFO

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Fafnir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Fafnir. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

Fafnir

noun

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

churlish

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes