elfkin (elfkin)

[ The horns of Elfland faintly blowing. Tennyson, Prince , iii. elf-lock (elf'lok), n. A knot of hair twisted by elves; a knot twisted as if by elves; hence, in the plural, hair in unusual disorder. This is that very Mab, That plats the manes of horses in the night, And bakes the elf - locks in foul sluttish hairs, Which, once untangled, much misfortune bodes. Shak., R. and J., i. 4. You will pull all into a knot or elf - lock ; which nothing but the shears or a candle will undo. B. Jonson, Magnet ick Lady, Ind. R. F. Burton , El-Medinah, p. 319. Ragged elf - locks hanging down to the breast. elf-locked (elf'lokt), a. Wearing elf-locks; with disheveled or tangled hair. [Poetical.] The elfe - lockt fury all her snakes had shed. pet name for a child, especially one who is very sprightly and graceful. Syn. 1. Sprite, hobgoblin, fairy. elf (elf), v. t. [ elf , n., in allusion to the mis- + queen.] The queen of the elves or fairies. Urchin, and 3. Fay , Gnome , etc. See Dan. ellere = Goth. ainlif ), eleven, orig. * anlif 3. A diminutive person; a dwarf; hence, a (the first syllable ( end- , an ) having been modi- fied by shortening and mutation with di imi- lated gemination of n to nd , and the last syl- lable (-an, -on) added as a quasi-plural suffix), an (= Goth. ain , etc.), one, + -lif , an element appearing also in Goth. twal if = AS. twelf , E. twelve, etc. (see twelve ), and appar. = Lith. -lika , in vënolika , eleven, where the element is by some supposed to stand for * dika = Gr. δέκα = L. decem = E. ten , making the Teut. and chievousne ascribed to elves. Cf. elf - lock.] To entangle intricately, as the hair. [Rare.] My face I'll grime with filth; Blanket my loins; elf all my hair in knots. Shak ., Lear, ii. 3. I. a. One more than ten: a cardinal numeral beginning the second decade: as, eleven men. The game [shovel-board], when two play, is generally eleven; but the number is extended when four or more are jointly concerned. Strutt , Sports and Pastimes, p. 395. Sir R. Stap let on , tr. of Juvenal, vii. 83. elf-queen (elf'kwēn), n . [ elfqueen ; elf The elfqucene with hir joly compaignye Daunced ful ofte in many a grene mede. Chancer, Wife of Bath's Tale, 1. 4.