noun
- in folklore, children believed to have been secretly substituted by fairies or other supernatural beings for human children
Usage: folklore; mythology
Examples
- The old tales spoke of changelings left in place of stolen human babies.
- Parents once blamed difficult children on being changelings from the fairy realm.
- Medieval folklore is filled with stories of changelings and their strange behavior.
- The mother suspected her child was a changeling because of his unusual appearance.
- Irish legends describe changelings as sickly fairy children left behind.
- Superstitious villagers believed changelings could be identified by their odd habits.