# sprite

/ˈspɹaɪt/ (US) · /spɹˈaɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sprite
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. mythical creature

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary

a small, magical creature like a fairy or an elf that lives in nature.

For teachers: a supernatural being, often associated with nature, similar to an elf, fairy, or pixie.

- In the old stories, a water sprite lived in the deep part of the lake.
- The poet populated his imaginary forest with mischievous sprites and ancient spirits that guarded the sacred groves.

### 2. digital image

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

a small 2D image or character in a video game that moves around the screen.

For teachers: a two-dimensional bitmap that is integrated into a larger scene, typically in the context of video games or computer graphics.

- The game designer spent all night drawing the main character's walking sprite.
- Early console hardware was limited by the number of sprites it could render simultaneously without causing significant frame-rate drops.

### 3. weather phenomenon

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a bright flash of red light that happens very high in the sky during a storm.

For teachers: a large-scale electrical discharge occurring high above a thunderstorm cloud, appearing as a luminous red-orange flash.

- Pilots sometimes see red sprites dancing above the clouds during heavy lightning storms.
- Atmospheric scientists use high-speed cameras to capture the fleeting duration of sprites, which occur far above the reach of ordinary lightning.

### 4. to create pixel art

verb · CEFR C2 · Informal · Slang

to draw small characters or objects using pixels for a video game.

For teachers: to create or design pixel-based graphics, specifically for use as sprites in digital media.

- He spent the weekend spriting new enemies for his indie game project.
- While he was skilled at coding, he preferred spriting because it allowed him to explore the aesthetic constraints of low-resolution art.

## Examples

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.