Sprite
/spraɪt/noun
A small supernatural being or a lively, playful person or thing.
Did you know?In older English, a sprite could mean a ghost, spirit, or elf-like being, and the word is historically linked to the same Latin root as **spirit**—words for breath, life, and invisible force.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
spiritus
“breath; breath of life; spirit”
Old French
OF
esprit
“spirit; mind; soul”
Middle English
English
sprite
“spirit; ghost; fairy-like being”
16th Century
English
sprite
“a supernatural being, especially a small or mischievous one”
Modern English
English
sprite
“a small supernatural being or a lively, playful person or thing”