changeling

American  

[cheynj-ling] / ˈtʃeɪndʒ lɪŋ /

noun

1. a child surreptitiously or unintentionally substituted for another.

2. (in folklore) an ugly, stupid, or strange child left by fairies in place of a pretty, charming child.

3. Philately. a postage stamp that, by accident or intention, has been chemically changed in color.

4. Archaic.

   1. a renegade or turncoat.

   2. an imbecile.

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changeling British  

/ ˈtʃeɪndʒlɪŋ /

noun

1. a child believed to have been exchanged by fairies for the parents' true child

2. archaic

   1. an idiot

   2. a fickle or changeable person

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Etymology

Origin of changeling

First recorded in 1545–55; change + -ling ¹

Example Sentences

That metaphor of the outcast changeling, rejected for who she is at her core by a rigid society, earned a loyal following — and accolades, including an Eisner Award and a National Book Award nomination.

From Los Angeles Times

Fittingly, the series is a kind of changeling itself: a pale echo of the 2017 novel by Victor LaValle on which it is based.

From New York Times

The Borg and the changelings came to an agreement in which the changelings would be the Borg’s vehicle to carry out some villainous plan to help them procreate.

From New York Times

They would have had good reason to link up with changelings after what happened in “Deep Space Nine.”

From New York Times

His grand idea was to lure the changelings from the Shrike, a superior ship, onto the Titan?

From New York Times

Related Words

• backup
• replacement
• stand-in
• surrogate