changeling

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈtʃeɪndʒlɪŋ/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈtʃeɪndʒlɪŋ/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(chānj′ling)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
change•ling /ˈtʃeɪndʒlɪŋ/USA pronunciation   n. [countable]
  1. an infant exchanged for another child usually secretly.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
change•ling  (chānj′ling),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. a child surreptitiously or unintentionally substituted for another.
  2. (in folklore) an ugly, stupid, or strange child left by fairies in place of a pretty, charming child.
  3. [Philately.]a postage stamp that, by accident or intention, has been chemically changed in color.
  4. [Archaic.]
    • a renegade or turncoat.
    • an imbecile.
  • change + -ling1 1545–55

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
changeling / ˈtʃeɪndʒlɪŋ/
  1. a child believed to have been exchanged by fairies for the parents' true child
'changeling' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Jolie - Middleton - Rowley - oaf

Forum discussions with the word(s) "changeling" in the title:


Look up "changeling" at Merriam-Webster
Look up "changeling" at dictionary.com
  • Go to Preferences page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks.

In other languages: Spanish | French | Italian | Portuguese | Romanian | German | Dutch | Swedish | Russian | Polish | Czech | Greek | Turkish | Chinese | Japanese | Korean | Arabic

Advertisements
Advertisements
Report an inappropriate ad.
WordReference.com
WORD OF THE DAY
GET THE DAILY EMAIL!

Become a WordReference Supporter to view the site ad-free.