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puckle

puckle

1 9.9
A small mischievous spirit that plays tricks on people at night
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : puckle
  • The children listened wide-eyed to stories of a puckle who haunted the crossroads.

Examples

  • The old tale spoke of a puckle that haunted the village.

  • Have you ever seen a puckle in the woods?

  • In the old village legends, a puckle was blamed for missing tools and strange noises.

  • Travelers were warned to avoid the woods at night, lest a puckle play tricks on them.

  • The old legend speaks of a puckle that would play tricks on unsuspecting travelers at night.

  • Children tell stories about a puckle that hid their toys unless they were well-behaved.

  • In the dark forest, some villagers claimed to have seen a puckle stealing their apples.

Synonyms

goblin
vspuckle
  • Literature
105 8.3

A small, ugly creature that causes trouble for people

is an old word for a mischievous spirit in general
Puck
vspuckle
  • Literature
46 9.9

A mischievous fairy in stories who plays tricks on people

is a former general term for mischievous spirits rather than a named fairy
bogey
vspuckle
  • Archaic
3 9.9

A scary creature from old stories that scares people

is a broader archaic term for mischievous spirits rather than a devil name
kobold
vspuckle
  • Literature
3 9.9

A small mischievous creature in German stories that lives in houses or mines

is an old general term not tied to a specific national tradition
bogle
vspuckle
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A ghost or goblin from Scottish and northern English stories

is a general archaic term not tied to Scottish regional identity
pooka
vspuckle
  • Literature
1 9.9

A mischievous spirit from Irish stories that often appears as an animal

is an archaic general name rather than a specifically Irish creature
pook
vspuckle
  • Archaic
9.9

A mischievous spirit from Celtic stories that appears as an animal and plays tricks

is an older general label not limited to Celtic stories
Robin Goodfellow
vspuckle
  • Literature
9.9

A playful fairy in old stories who hides things and plays tricks on people

is an archaic general word, not a specific legendary character

Surface Forms

puckle singular
puckles plural

Etymology

The word puckle comes from the old name puck, which comes from a very old word puca meaning 'goblin'. Think of Shakespeare's Puck, a playful character who liked to play tricks. That's why a puckle was an old word for a small spirit who caused trouble.