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pixie

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Pixi
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pix⋅ie

[pik-see]
–noun
1. a fairy or sprite, esp. a mischievous one.
2. a small, pert, or mischievous person.
–adjective
3. Also, pix⋅ie⋅ish, pix⋅y⋅ish. playfully impish or mischievous; prankish: pixie mood; a pixie sense of humor.

Origin:
1620–30; orig. dial. (SW England) pixy, pigsy, pisky; orig. uncert.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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Pixi
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pix·ie or pix·y   (pĭk'sē)   
n.   pl. pix·ies
A fairylike or elfin creature, especially one that is mischievous; a playful sprite.
adj.  Playfully mischievous.

[Origin unknown.]
pix'y·ish adj.
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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Word Origin & History

pixie 
c.1630, perhaps from Swed. dialect pyske "small fairy," but West County origin suggests ultimate source in Cornwall and thus something Celtic. Earliest references were in pixy-path "bewilderment," lit. "path on which one is led astray by pixies," and pixie-led "lost."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

pixie

in the folklore of southwestern England, tiny elflike spirit or mischievous fairy dressed in green who dances in the moonlight to the music of frogs and crickets. Its favourite pastimes are leading travelers astray and frightening young maidens. Pixies also delight in rapping on walls, blowing out candles, and playing in water. Pixies were first discussed at some length by Mrs. Anna Eliza Bray in The Borders of the Tamar and the Tavy, 3 vol. (1837)

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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