drow
nounUK /dɹəʊ/ · US /dɹoʊ/
Etymology From Shetlandic and Orcadian Scots drow, from Norn *drou, *drau (compare 18th c. Norwegian drau, modern drov, drauv), alternatively *drog, from Old Norse draugr (“malevolent revenant”); along the variation trow, intermixed with Norn troll, from Old Norse trǫll (“troll, malevolent supernatural being”), a partial synonym to draugr. L-vocalisation occurred in the early 15th century in Middle Scots, so trolly, knolls probably became *trowie, knowes around this time.
› A member of a race of folkloric beings from…
Arts, Folklore, History, Human sciences, Literature, Media, Mysticism, Mythology, Philosophy, Publishing, Sciences Orkney, Shetland, Dated “hidden people” (Faroese huldufólk, Norwegian huldrefolk), subterraneans (Norwegian underjordiske, Swedish underjordiska, Gutnish di sma undar jordi), fairies, “troll-folk”, and thereof (Swedish oknytt)
Arts, Folklore, History, Human sciences, Literature, Media, Mysticism, Mythology, Philosophy, Publishing, Sciences Orkney, Shetland, Dated ghost; cognate to Scandinavian folklore of gnomes, wights, trolls, etc, being supernatural ghosts
Arts, Folklore, History, Human sciences, Literature, Media, Mysticism, Mythology, Philosophy, Publishing, Sciences Orkney, Shetland, Dated “The devil”, cognate to Scanian dråe (“devil”).
A member of a fictional race of dark elves in various fantasy settings, such as Dungeons & Dragons.
Fantasy roleplaying games
A fictional constructed language spoken by the Drow.
Fantasy roleplaying games