Goblin definition
A grotesque elfin creature of folklore, thought to work mischief or evil.
noun
(folklore) An evil or mischievous spirit, often represented in pictures as humanlike and ugly or misshapen in form.
noun
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Other Word Forms
Noun
Singular:
goblin
Plural:
goblinsOrigin of goblin
- Middle English gobelin from Norman French gobelin name of a ghost that supposedly haunted the town of Évreux in the 12th century
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From Old Northern French gobelin (compare Normand goubelin, Walloon gobelin), possibly a blend of Old Low Franconian *kobeholdo ("goblin") (compare Dutch kabouter, German Kobold) and Late Latin cobalus ("mountain sprite"), from Ancient Greek κόβαλος (kobalos, “rogue, knave; goblin”).
From Wiktionary