1 an elemental spirit of the air.
2 a slender graceful woman or girl.
3 any humming-bird of the genus Aglaiocercus with a long forked tail.
Derivatives:
sylphlike adj.
Etymology: mod.L sylphes, G Sylphen (pl.), perh. based on L sylvestris of the woods + nympha nymph
Useful english dictionary. 2012.