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fair·y

(fâr′ē)

n. pl. fair·ies

1. An imaginary being in human form, depicted as clever, mischievous, and possessing magical powers.

2. Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a gay man.

[Middle English fairie, fairyland, enchanted being, from Old French faerie, from fae, fairy, from Vulgar Latin *Fāta, goddess of fate, from Latin fāta, the Fates, pl. of fātum, fate; see fate.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

fairy

(ˈfɛərɪ)

n, pl fairies

1. an imaginary supernatural being, usually represented in diminutive human form and characterized as clever, playful, and having magical powers

2. slang offensive a male homosexual

3. away with the fairies informal out of touch with reality

adj (prenominal)

4. of or relating to a fairy or fairies

5. resembling a fairy or fairies, esp in being enchanted or delicate

[C14: from Old French faerie fairyland, from feie fairy, from Latin Fāta the Fates; see fate, fay¹]

ˈfairy-ˌlike adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

fair•y

(ˈfɛər i)

n., pl. fair•ies,
adj. n.

1. (in folklore) one of a class of supernatural beings, generally conceived as having a diminutive human form and possessing magical powers.

2. Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. (a contemptuous term used to refer to a male homosexual.)

adj.

3. of or pertaining to fairies: fairy magic.

4. of the nature of a fairy; fairylike: a fairy godmother.

[1250–1300; Middle English < Old French. See fay¹, -ery]

fair′y•hood`, n.

usage: Definition 2 is a slur and should be avoided. It is used with disparaging intent and is perceived as insulting.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	fairy - a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers faerie, faery, fay, sprite spiritual being, supernatural being - an incorporeal being believed to have powers to affect the course of human events elf, gremlin, imp, pixie, pixy, hob, brownie - (folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous fairy godmother - a female character in some fairy stories who has magical powers and can bring unexpected good fortune to the hero or heroine gnome, dwarf - a legendary creature resembling a tiny old man; lives in the depths of the earth and guards buried treasure Morgan le Fay - (Arthurian legend) a wicked enchantress who was the half sister and enemy of King Arthur Puck, Robin Goodfellow - a mischievous sprite of English folklore Oberson - (Middle Ages) the king of the fairies and husband of Titania in medieval folklore Titania - (Middle Ages) the queen of the fairies in medieval folklore tooth fairy - a fairy that is said to leave money at night under a child's pillow to compensate for a baby tooth falling out water spirit, water sprite, water nymph - a fairy that inhabits water
	2.	fairy - offensive term for an openly homosexual man fag, faggot, fagot, nance, poof, poove, pouf, queer, pansy, queen derogation, disparagement, depreciation - a communication that belittles somebody or something gay man, shirtlifter - a homosexual man

fairy

noun sprite, elf, brownie, hob, pixie, puck, imp, leprechaun, peri, Robin Goodfellow The fairy vanished from his sight.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

جِنِّي، جِنِّيَّـهجِنِّيَّة

фея

vílapohádková bytostteplouš

fealfbøsseeventyr-

Fee Schwuchtel Tunte Elfe

νεράιδα

feino

hada

hinttikeijukainen

fée lutin pédé tante tapette

vilavíla

tündér

peri

álfur, huldukona

fata fiaba maga omosessuale checca

妖精

요정

fėjapasakastebuklų

fejapasaku-

zână

rozprávková bytosťvíla

vila

älvafe

นางฟ้า

peri

tiên

仙女

fairy

[ˈfɛərɪ]

A. N

1. (= creature) → hada f

2. (= homosexual) → maricón m, marica m

B. CPD fairy cycle N → bicicleta f de niño
fairy footsteps NPL → pasos mpl ligeros
fairy godmother N → hada f madrina
fairy lights NPL → bombillas fpl de colorines
fairy queen N → reina f de las hadas
fairy story, fairy tale N → cuento m de hadas (fig) (= lie) → cuento m, patraña f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

fairy

[ˈfɛəri] n

(= magical creature) → fée f tooth fairy

(offensive) (= homosexual) → pédé m fairy godmother n → bonne fée f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

fairy

→ Fee f; good fairy → gute Fee; he’s away with the fairies (inf) → der hat einen Schaden (inf)

(pej inf: = homosexual) → Homo m (dated inf), → Schwule(r) m (inf)

fairy

fairy cycle

n → Kinderfahrrad nt

fairy footsteps

pl (iro inf) → Stapfen nt

fairy godmother

n (lit, fig) → gute Fee

fairyland

n → Märchenland nt

fairy lights

pl → bunte Lichter pl

fairy-like

adj → feenhaft

fairy queen

n → Elfenkönigin f

fairy ring

n → Hexentanzplatz m; (of mushrooms) → Hexenring m

fairy story, fairy tale

n (lit, fig) → Märchen nt

fairy-tale

adj (fig) romance, ending → märchenhaft

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

fairy

[ˈfɛərɪ] n

a. → fata
fairy queen → regina delle fate

b. (offensive) (homosexual) → finocchio

fairy

(ˈfeəri) – plural ˈfairies – noun

an imaginary creature in the form of a very small (often winged) human, with magical powers. Children often believe in fairies; (also adjective) fairy-land.

ˈfairy-story noun

1. an old, or children's, story of fairies, magic etc. a book of fairy-stories.

2. an untrue statement; a lie. I don't want to hear any fairy-stories!

ˈfairy-tale noun

a fairy-story. to tell fairy-tales; (also adjective) the fairy-tale appearance of the countryside.

fairy

→ جِنِّيَّة víla fe Fee νεράιδα hada keijukainen fée vila fata 妖精 요정 fee fe duszek fada фея älva นางฟ้า peri tiên 仙女

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Long ago children were forbidden the Gardens, and at that time there was not a fairy in the place; then the children were admitted, and the fairies came trooping in that very evening.

When you were a bird you knew the fairies pretty well, and you remember a good deal about them in your babyhood, which it is a great pity you can't write down, for gradually you forget, and I have heard of children who declared that they had never once seen a fairy. Very likely if they said this in the Kensington Gardens, they were standing looking at a fairy all the time.

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But they should not have talked so loudly, for one day they were overheard by a fairy who had been gathering skeleton leaves, from which the little people weave their summer curtains, and after that Tony was a marked boy.

You see the chance had come of seeing a fairy ball.

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There was once an old castle, that stood in the middle of a deep gloomy wood, and in the castle lived an old fairy. Now this fairy could take any shape she pleased.

One day they went to walk in the wood, that they might be alone; and Jorindel said, 'We must take care that we don't go too near to the fairy's castle.' It was a beautiful evening; the last rays of the setting sun shone bright through the long stems of the trees upon the green underwood beneath, and the turtle-doves sang from the tall birches.

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On a silvery mushroom was spread the breakfast; little cakes of flower-dust lay on a broad green leaf, beside a crimson strawberry, which, with sugar from the violet, and cream from the yellow milkweed, made a fairy meal, and their drink was the dew from the flowers' bright leaves.

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Folklore, legends, myths and fairy tales have followed childhood through the ages, for every healthy youngster has a wholesome and instinctive love for stories fantastic, marvelous and manifestly unreal.

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I really don't see why it shouldn't be tried, and I'm almost sure that, if you could only catch a Fairy, and put it in the corner, and give it nothing but bread and water for a day or two, you'd find it quite an improved character--it would take down its conceit a little, at all events.

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"What do you command, my charming Fairy?" asked the Falcon, bending his beak in deep reverence (for it must be known that, after all, the Lovely Maiden with Azure Hair was none other than a very kind Fairy who had lived, for more than a thousand years, in the vicinity of the forest).

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It was not really a light; it made this light by flashing about so quickly, but when it came to rest for a second you saw it was a fairy, no longer than your hand, but still growing.

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The fairy told Serpentine that she was quite satisfied with her conduct, and made herself very agreeable to Saphir, whom she presented to the lady she had brought with her, explaining that the lady was no other than his Aunt Aglantine, widow of Diamantino.

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