changeling
In pre-modern European folklore: an infant of a magical creature that was secretly…In pre-modern European folklore: an infant of a magical creature that was secretly exchanged for a human infant. In British, Irish and Scandinavian mythology the exchanged infants were thought to be those of fairies, sprites or trolls; in other places, they were ascribed to demons, devils, or witches.
» In the Deep Space 9 space station, Odo is a Changeling security chief.
Meaning
6 senses(European, also, figuratively)In pre-modern European folklore: an infant of a magical creature that was secretly exchanged for a human infant. In British, Irish and Scandinavian mythology the exchanged infants were thought to be those of fairies, sprites or trolls; in other places, they were ascribed to demons, devils, or witches.
Dickkopf, Kielkropf, Wechselbalg
подме́нышpodményš
(broadly)A person or object (especially when regarded as inferior) secretly exchanged for something else.
a child secretly exchanged for another in infancy
(broadly, informal, rare)An infant secretly exchanged with another infant deliberately or by mistake; a swapling.
An organism which can change shape to mimic others; a shape-shifter.
(also, archaic, figuratively)A person apt to change their loyalty or thinking; a waverer.
(obsolete)An idiot, a simpleton.
Examples
1 sentencesIn the Deep Space 9 space station, Odo is a Changeling security chief.
Translations
5 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
The noun is derived from change + -ling (suffix with the sense ‘immature; small’). Sense 6The noun is derived from change + -ling (suffix with the sense ‘immature; small’). Sense 6 (“idiot, simpleton”) is from the idea that foolish children had been left by magical creatures (sense 1).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: changelings| Singular | changeling |
|---|---|
| Plural | changelings |
regular