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CHANGELING

 - 3 dictionary results

change⋅ling

  [cheynj-ling]
Use CHANGELING in a Sentence
–noun
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. a renegade or turncoat.
b. an imbecile.
Origin:
1545–55; change + -ling 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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change·ling   (chānj'lĭng)   
n.  

  1. A child secretly exchanged for another.

  2. Archaic A changeable, fickle person.

  3. Archaic A person of deficient intelligence.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

changeling

in European folklore, a deformed or imbecilic offspring of fairies or elves substituted by them surreptitiously for a human infant. According to legend, the abducted human children are given to the devil or used to strengthen fairy stock. The return of the original child may be effected by making the changeling laugh or by torturing it; this latter belief was responsible for numerous cases of actual child abuse.

Learn more about changeling with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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