pooka

American  

[poo-kuh] / ˈpu kə /

Also puca

noun

1. (in folklore) an Irish spirit, mischievous but not malevolent, corresponding to the English Puck.

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Etymology

Origin of pooka

First recorded in 1820–30; from Irish púca, perhaps related to Old English pūca ( see Puck ( def. ))

Example Sentences

James Stewart plays Elwood P Dowd, and Harvey is his love object, an invisible 6ft white rabbit sometimes described as a "pooka", a sort of sprite who can make your dreams come true.

From The Guardian • Feb. 14, 2013

After November Eve the blackberries are no longer wholesome, for the pooka has spoiled them.

From Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry by Yeats, W. B. (William Butler)

“Musha, I don’t know,” says the pooka: “but I think a good quilted frieze coat would help me to keep the life in me them long nights.”

From Humours of Irish Life by Various

He saw neither pooka nor fairy, but the long horns of the animal he was in search of.

From Love of Brothers by Tynan, Katharine

“Musha, I don’t know,” says the pooka; “but I think a good quilted frieze coat would help me to keep the life in me them long nights.”

From The Irish Fairy Book by Various