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gremlin

Etymology and origin of the English word gremlin

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈɡɹɛmlɪn/ (UK); /ˈɡɹɛmlən/ (US)[1]

Etymology

Of unknown or uncertain origin.[2][3][4][5] It was probably formed on the analogy of goblin.[4][5][6] Other suggestions are Irish gruaimín “bad-tempered little fellow”,[6][3][4] or a dialect survival of Old English gremman “to anger, vex” with the ending of goblin.[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

In its earliest attested use, a Royal Air Force term for a low-ranking officer or enlisted man given the most onerous duties (1920s).[6][5] The OED, Barnhart and Merriam-Webster date the word to 1941;[7][3][2] oral use is said to go back to 1923.[3][4]

Semantic evolution

In RAF slang of the Second World War a gremlin was a mischievous sprite blamed for mishaps to aircraft,[7][5][4] and Americans had picked up the word by 1942.[4] Later it became an embodiment of mischance in any activity.[7][5] From 1961 surfers used it for a young surfer or a troublemaker on the beach.[7][4]

Timeline

  • 1923 – said to be used orally in RAF slang.[3][4]
  • 1920s – an RAF term for a low-ranking airman given onerous duties.[6][5]
  • 1941 – a mischievous sprite blamed for aircraft mishaps.[7][2][3]
  • 1961 – (surfing) a young surfer; a beach troublemaker.[7][4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. An imaginary gnomelike creature blamed for mechanical failures, especially in aircraft.
  2. Any mysterious cause of trouble or malfunction.
  3. A maker of mischief.
  4. (surfing slang) A young or inexperienced surfer.

Word family

  • gremmie
  • gremmy

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e f Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  7. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Gremlin.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/gremlin. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·