noun

sprite

SPRYTE/spraɪt/

A small supernatural being such as an elf or fairy.

A tiny winged sprite rests on a mossy woodland branch.

A small fully clothed woodland sprite with delicate translucent wings rests on a mossy branch, clearly a tiny supernatural being, gently luminous and naturally proportioned.

Etymology

Spiritus linked breath with the animating principle of life. Sprite shares its ancestry with spirit and came to name an immaterial being, including an elf, fairy, or ghost.

In context

Esper the Bard29:49

what do I think about the sprite the serious faced miniature army of the fairy forest

D&D MONSTER RANKINGS - FEY

More examples

In the fairy tale, a sprite helps a lost traveler.
She dresses as a woodland sprite for the school play.
The villagers tell stories of water sprites living beneath the waterfall.

Forms

sprite · sprites

Similar words

pixie: Suggests a playful or mischievous fairy, especially in folk tales.
gnome: Usually pictured as a small bearded figure associated with earth.
ghost: Specifically suggests a dead person's spirit, rather than a fairy.