Definition

Noun: 1. A mischievous imaginary creature: A gremlin is a mythical, often invisible, creature said to be responsible for causing sudden and unexplained mechanical problems, malfunctions, or bad luck, especially in machinery or complex systems. 2. A source of persistent trouble or irritation: Informally, a gremlin can refer to any small, persistent, and annoying problem or fault that is difficult to locate or fix.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Mythical Creature):
  • The pilot joked that a gremlin must have gotten into the engine when the warning light came on for no reason.
  • Old folklore says gremlins are responsible for the strange noises in the attic.
• Noun (Source of Trouble):
  • There seems to be a gremlin in the computer system; it keeps crashing at random.
  • I must have a gremlin in my wallet—my credit card is always missing when I need it.

Advanced Usage

• "to work the gremlins out (of something)": To identify and fix the small, irritating problems in a system or process.
  • We've built the prototype, but now we need a few weeks to work the gremlins out of the design.

Variants and Related Words

• Gremlinry (n, rare/humorous): The collective activity or nature of gremlins; the state of being plagued by gremlins.
  • The project was delayed by a week due to pure gremlinry.

Synonyms

• Imp: A small, mischievous demon or sprite.
• Goblin: A grotesque, mischievous creature of folklore.
• Bug (informal, in computing/mechanics): A defect or fault in a system.
• Glitch: A sudden, usually temporary, malfunction or irregularity.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• A gremlin in the works: An unknown or unforeseen cause of disruption or failure in a plan or system.
  • Everything was ready for the launch, but then a gremlin in the works caused a last-minute delay.

Noun

1. (folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous