sprite
n. countablen. a small, magical creature like an elf or a fairy. In computer games, it also means a small 2D image that moves around on the screen.
n. a supernatural being in folklore, such as an elf, fairy, or pixie. In computing, refers to a two-dimensional bitmap that is integrated into a larger scene, typically in the context of early video game graphics.
The forest was said to be home to a mischievous sprite.
The developer spent hours animating the main character's sprite to ensure the walking motion looked fluid.
While the folklore of the region describes the sprite as a malevolent spirit of the marshes, modern fantasy literature often reimagines it as a harmless, glowing companion.
From Middle English sprite, spryt, spreyte, from Old French esprit (“spirit”), from Latin spīritus. Doublet of spirit, spiritus, spirytus, spright, and esprit. (computer graphics): First used by Danny Hillis at Texas Instruments in the late 1970s. (meteorology): An acronym for Stratospheric Perturbations Resulting from Intense Thunderstorm Electrification.
In its computing sense, it is frequently used in the context of retro gaming or 2D animation.