The term is generally used in reference to elf-like creatures, including fairies, and similar beings (although not earth beings), but can also signify various spiritual beings, including ghosts.
In Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl books, sprites are a race of fairies with green skin and wings.
In The Spiderwick Chronicles, sprites are creatures that resemble insects or flowers.
The word "sprite" is derived from the Latin "spiritus" (spirit).
Variations on the term include "spright" (the origin of the adjective "sprightly", meaning "spirited" or "lively") and the Celtic "spriggan".
The term is chiefly used in regard to elves and fairies in European folklore, and in modern English is rarely used in reference to spirits or other legendary creatures...
At night the insect-like sprites' bodies give off a faint glow that can have them mistaken for fireflies, which, along with other flying insects and small birds, they are fond of riding.
Sprites can also cause plants to bloom in the middle of Winter and are the nurturers of the strange fruits that faeries delight in.
In forests with sprites, it is possible to find the hollowed-out acorns they use as cups; dandelion-tuft mattresses, and hats made from folded leaves...
More:
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