sylph

noun

ˈsilf

: an elemental being in the theory of Paracelsus that inhabits air

: a slender graceful woman or girl

sylphlike

ˈsil-ˌflīk

adjective

Did you know?

Paracelsus was a man with a vivid imagination. He concocted an elaborate theory of ruling "elemental spirits": gnomes controlled the earth, salamanders fire, undines water, and sylphs (graceful beings whose name in English is from New Latin sylphus) the air. You would hardly believe this 16th-century German-Swiss physician had his feet on the ground, but those fantastic ideas were balanced with an impressive array of solid medical discoveries. In fact, many of his scientific contributions are still highly respected, but his sylph idea has long since been discounted as fairy-tale fantasy. The creatures remain only as romantic figures of literature, art, and ballet, where diaphanous woodland sylphs are often depicted enchanting unwary males.

Examples of sylph in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Yet the casting choice highlights how Callas recast herself in the 1950s, shedding a third of her body mass to transform from a zaftig soprano cliché into a high-fashion sylph (and in the process, sacrificing a bit of her oomph). —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024 The Louisville Ballet is redesigning the context of the ballet, but the classic story begins when a young groom is awakened on his wedding day by a kiss from a sylph. —Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 17 May 2022