kobold

noun

ko·​bold ˈkō-ˌbȯld 

1

: a gnome that in German folklore inhabits underground places

2

: an often mischievous domestic spirit of German folklore

Synonyms

• brownie
• dwarf
• elf
• faerie
• faery
• fairy
• fay
• gnome
• goblin
• gremlin
• hobgoblin
• leprechaun
• pixie
• pixy
• puck
• sprite
• troll

Example Sentences

the metal cobalt gets its name from the medieval Germanic belief that its appearance in silver ore was the handiwork of mischievous, thieving kobolds

Recent Examples on the Web

The word cobalt comes from the German word kobold, meaning goblin. —Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 18 Aug. 2022

Otherworldly cities modeled on real ones have been a standby of fantasy, from Superman’s Metropolis through China Miéville’s Un Lun Dun to Michael Swanwick’s Babel, with its haints and kobolds, ethnic politics and human ward-heelers. —Tom Shippey, WSJ, 16 Mar. 2018

Word History

Etymology

German — more at cobalt

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1