Leprechaun first attested

Is it a type of elf? A dwarf? A little old man?

While you’ll often find such terms included in dictionary definitions of “leprechaun,” the reality is that those are merely descriptions of what leprechauns look like.

And of course, I’m using the word “reality” here very loosely. 

Because as far as we know, leprechauns are imaginary beings, or, if they do exist, we certainly do not have indisputable evidence of their existence.

But that’s neither here nor there.

Pssst.

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Imaginary or not, leprechauns exist in the Irish folktales and fairytales that have been passed down for centuries.

And based on the characterizations found in those stories, I propose the following concise definition for “leprechaun”:

A leprechaun is a solitary Irish fairy, characterized by its short statu