drow

D2R1O1W4
UK/dɹəʊ/UK/dɹaʊ/US/dɹoʊ/

noun

“hidden people” (Faroese huldufólk, Norwegian huldrefolk), subterraneans (Norwegian underjordiske, Swedish underjordiska, Gutnish di sma undar jordi), fairies, “troll-folk”, and thereof (Swedish oknytt)

Similar
dark elf
OriginScots drow ← Norn *drou ← Old Norse draugr →
UncommonScrabble 8
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Meanings

noundrow (countable and uncountable, plural drow)

alternative trow

  1. A member of a race of folkloric beings from Orkney and Shetland; cognate to the Scandinavian troll.
    1. OrkneyShetlandcountabledateduncountablearts“hidden people” (Faroese huldufólk, Norwegian huldrefolk), subterraneans (Norwegian underjordiske, Swedish underjordiska, Gutnish di sma undar jordi), fairies, “troll-folk”, and thereof (Swedish oknytt)
    2. OrkneyShetlandcountabledateduncountableartsghost; cognate to Scandinavian folklore of gnomes, wights, trolls, etc, being supernatural ghosts
    3. OrkneyShetlandcountabledateduncountablearts“The devil”, cognate to Scanian dråe (“devil”).
  2. countablefantasy roleplaying gamesA member of a fictional race of dark elves in various fantasy settings, such as Dungeons & Dragons.

    Synonyms: dark elf

  3. uncountablefantasy roleplaying gamesA fictional constructed language spoken by the Drow.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA member of a fictional race of dark elves in various fantasy settings, such as Dungeons & Dragons.

Similar
dark elf

Origin

  1. Old Norsetrǫll“troll, malevolent supernatural being”
  2. Norntroll
  3. Old Norsedraugr“malevolent revenant”
  4. Norn*drou
  5. Scotsdrow
  6. Englishdrow

From Shetlandic and Orcadian Scots drow, from Norn *drou, *drau (compare 18th c. Norwegian drau, modern drov, drauv), alternatively *drog, from Old Norse draugr (“malevolent revenant”); along the variation trow, intermixed with Norn troll, from Old Norse trǫll (“troll, malevolent supernatural being”), a partial synonym to draugr. L-vocalisation occurred in the early 15th century in Middle Scots, so trolly, knolls probably became *trowie, knowes around this time.

More words from Scots, Norn, Old Norse

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish drow, musta haltia
  • drowfictional dark elf
  • musta haltiafictional dark elf
French drow
  • drowfictional dark elf
Hungarian sötéttünde
  • sötéttündefictional dark elf

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with drow

toourdonosonowhowgoknowshowolowbelowcoproagothoughohalthoughallowflowpojoemo
All rhymes →

Anagrams

word
Cite this entry
APA

drow. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drow

MLA

“drow.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drow. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “drow,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drow.

Source: drow on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.