Definition

1. Noun:
   • An elemental being believed to inhabit the air: In mythology and literature, a 'sylph' is a spirit or imaginary being of the air, often depicted as graceful and delicate.
   • A slender graceful young woman: By extension, 'sylph' is used to describe a woman or girl who is attractively thin and moves with elegant grace.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Mythological being):

  • The poem described a sylph dancing on the breeze.
  • In the story, the sorcerer summoned a sylph to carry a message.

• Noun (Graceful woman):

  • The ballet dancer moved across the stage like a sylph.
  • She was a sylph in her elegant evening gown.

Advanced Usage

• Used attributively: The word can be used as an adjective-like modifier to describe something with the qualities of a sylph.
  • She had a sylph-like figure.
  • The model's sylph grace was captivating.

Variants and Related Words

• Sylphid (n): A small or young sylph.
• Sylphlike (adj): Resembling a sylph; slender and graceful.
  • Her sylphlike silhouette was unmistakable.

Synonyms

• Sprite: A small, elusive supernatural being; an elf or fairy.
• Nymph: A mythological spirit of nature imagined as a beautiful maiden.
• Waif: A person, especially a woman or child, who appears thin and delicate.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "A veritable sylph": Used to emphasize that someone is the perfect example of slender grace.
  • On the ice, the figure skater was a veritable sylph.

Noun

1. an elemental being believed to inhabit the air
2. a slender graceful young woman