Elf-bolt
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A belemnite
"A proof much ſtronger of the diſtance at which the firſt poſſeſſors of this iſland lived from the preſent time, is afforded by the ſtone heads of arrows which are very frequently picked up. The people call them Elf-bolts, and believe that the fairies ſhoot them at the cattle."
- 2 A magical bolt used by elves as a weapon.
"[A] bow, in order that they may discharge little arrows at men, and tease them, as they otherwise do with small pebbles; for the dangerous Elf-bolt of the Scotch tradition hath doubtless its counterpart in one that is harmless."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
More examples"A proof much ſtronger of the diſtance at which the firſt poſſeſſors of this iſland lived from the preſent time, is afforded by the ſtone heads of arrows which are very frequently picked up. The people call them Elf-bolts, and believe that the fairies ſhoot them at the cattle."
Etymology
From the folk belief that they were used by elves.
More for "elf-bolt"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.