sylph

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The Word of the Day for April 10 is: 

sylph   \SILF\   noun
     1 : an elemental being in the theory of Paracelsus that 
inhabits air 
    *2 : a slender graceful woman or girl 

Example sentence:
     The dancer was a graceful, elegant sylph upon the stage.

Did you know?
     Paracelsus was a man with a vivid imagination. He 
concocted an elaborate theory of ruling "elemental spirits": 
gnomes controlled the earth, salamanders fire, undines water, 
and sylphs (graceful beings whose name in English is from New 
Latin "sylphus") the air. You would hardly believe this 16th-
century German-Swiss physician had his feet on the ground, but 
those fantastic ideas were balanced with an impressive array of 
solid medical discoveries. In fact, many of his scientific 
contributions are still highly respected, but his sylph idea 
has long since been discounted as fairy-tale fantasy. The 
creatures remain only as romantic figures of literature, art, 
and ballet, where diaphanous woodland sylphs are often depicted 
enchanting unwary males.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.