online medical dictionary | definition of fairy

1. Enchantment; illusion. "The God of her has made an end, And fro this worlde's fairy Hath taken her into company." (Gower)

2. The country of the fays; land of illusions. "He [Arthur] is a king y-crowned in Fairy." (Lydgate)

3. An imaginary supernatural being or spirit, supposed to assume a human form (usually diminutive), either male or female, and to meddle for good or evil in the affairs of mankind; a fay. See Elf, and Demon. "The fourth kind of spirit [is] called the Fairy." (K. James) "And now about the caldron sing, Like elves and fairies in a ring." (Shak)

5. An enchantress. Fairy of the mine, an imaginary being supposed to inhabit mines, etc. German folklore tells of two species; one fierce and malevolent, the other gentle, See Kobold. "No goblin or swart fairy of the mine Hath hurtful power over true virginity." (Milton)

Origin: OE. Fairie, faierie, enchantment, fairy folk, fairy, OF. Faerie enchantment, F. Feer, fr. LL. Fata one of the goddesses of fate. See Fate, and cf. Fay a fairy

(01 Mar 1998)