Word Study
gremlin
OXFORD DICTIONARY
gremlin, n. colloq.
1 an imaginary mischievous sprite regarded as responsible for mechanical faults, esp. in aircraft.
2 any similar cause of trouble.
1 an imaginary mischievous sprite regarded as responsible for mechanical faults, esp. in aircraft.
2 any similar cause of trouble.
Etymology
20th c.: orig. unkn., but prob. after goblin
THESAURUS
gremlin
Ariel, Befind, Corrigan, Dingbelle, Fifinella, Finnbeara, Hob, Hobgoblin, Mab, Oberon, Puck, Titania, bad fairy, bad peri, banshee, brownie, cluricaune, deviling, devilkin, diablotin, dwarf, elf, erlking, fairy, fairy queen, fay, gnome, goblin, hob, imp, kobold, leprechaun, little devil, ouphe, peri, pixie, poltergeist, pooka, puca, puck, pwca, sprite, sylph, sylphid, tokoloshe, young devilFor further exploring for "gremlin" in Webster Dictionary Online