eldritch

adj
/ˈɛl.dɹɪt͡ʃ/

Etymology

From the earlier form elritch, of uncertain origin. The second element, -ritch, is generally taken to be Old English rīċe (“realm, kingdom”). Some think that the first element, el-, derives from an Old English root meaning “foreign, strange, other” (related to Old English ellende and modern English else); others think that it derives from elf. It was reintroduced into popular literature by the writings of H. P. Lovecraft.

  1. derived from rīċe

Definitions

  1. Unearthly, supernatural, eerie, preternatural.

    • So Maggie runs, the witches follow, / Wi' mony an eldritch ſkreech and hollow.
    • I look'd upon the rotting Sea, / And drew my eyes away; / I look'd upon the eldritch deck / And there the dead men lay.
    • Pearl, in utter scorn of her mother's attempt to quiet her, gave an eldritch scream, and then became silent.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for eldritch. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA