Definitions for gremlin
ˈgrɛm lɪngrem·lin

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. elf, hob, gremlin, pixie, pixy, brownie, impnoun

   (folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. gremlinnoun

   A mythical creature reputed to be mechanically inclined and mischievously inclined to damage or dismantle machinery.

2. gremlinnoun

   By extension, any mysterious, unknown source of trouble or mischief.

3. Etymology: Possibly from Old English grëmian ("to vex", "to anger"), related to German grämen and Swedish gräma ("to grieve").

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Gremlin

   A gremlin is a mischievous folkloric creature that causes malfunctions in aircraft or other machinery. Depictions of these creatures vary. Often, they are described or depicted as animals with spiky backs; large, strange eyes; and small, clawed frames featuring sharp teeth.Since World War II, different fantastical creatures have been referred to as gremlins, bearing varying degrees of resemblance to the originals. The term "gremlin", denoting a mischievous creature that sabotages aircraft, originates in Royal Air Force (RAF) slang among the British pilots stationed in Malta, the Middle East, and India in the 1920s, with the earliest recorded printed use being in a poem published in the journal Aeroplane in Malta on 10 April 1929. Later sources have sometimes claimed that the concept goes back to World War I, but there is no print evidence of this.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. gremlin

   A gremlin is a mythical creature commonly depicted in folklore and popular culture as a mischievous imp that is believed to cause malfunctions in machinery, particularly in aircrafts. The term is also used more broadly to describe any unseen entity with an ability to cause disruptions or problems. It originated from British Royal Air Force slang in the 1920s, used to blame inexplicable mechanical failures on these fantastical beings.

WikidataRate this definition:3.0 / 1 vote

1. Gremlin

   A gremlin is an imaginary creature commonly depicted as mischievous and mechanically oriented, with a specific interest in aircraft. Gremlins' mischievous natures are similar to those of English folkloric imps, while their inclination to damage or dismantle machinery is more modern.

Matched Categories

1. • Fairy
   • Folklore

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

1. [["1809","1"],["1814","1"],["1898","1"],["1900","1"],["1926","1"],["1928","2"],["1936","1"],["1941","1"],["1942","29"],["1943","76"],["1944","62"],["1945","31"],["1946","40"],["1947","56"],["1948","90"],["1949","46"],["1950","47"],["1951","61"],["1952","47"],["1953","46"],["1954","26"],["1955","31"],["1956","54"],["1957","55"],["1958","33"],["1959","51"],["1960","35"],["1961","55"],["1962","38"],["1963","92"],["1964","39"],["1965","77"],["1966","62"],["1967","110"],["1968","44"],["1969","72"],["1970","83"],["1971","91"],["1972","54"],["1973","70"],["1974","58"],["1975","59"],["1976","96"],["1977","118"],["1978","101"],["1979","87"],["1980","115"],["1981","88"],["1982","141"],["1983","186"],["1984","218"],["1985","129"],["1986","303"],["1987","172"],["1988","188"],["1989","200"],["1990","295"],["1991","294"],["1992","274"],["1993","288"],["1994","245"],["1995","372"],["1996","314"],["1997","410"],["1998","354"],["1999","457"],["2000","381"],["2001","490"],["2002","743"],["2003","851"],["2004","642"],["2005","646"],["2006","667"],["2007","693"],["2008","800"]]

Anagrams for gremlin »

1. mingler

How to pronounce gremlin?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say gremlin in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of gremlin in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of gremlin in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of gremlin in a Sentence

1. Molly Bair:

   I'm kind of, I guess, embracing that alien, rat, demon, goblin, gremlin sort of vibe and going with it.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=gremlin
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Gremlin
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gremlin
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=gremlin
6. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=gremlin