1. a child believed to have been secretly substituted by fairies for the parents’ real child
Usage: folklore; mythology
2. a person or thing that is notably changeable or inconstant
Usage: literary

Examples

• The old fairy tale told of a changeling left in place of the stolen baby.
• Parents once blamed difficult children on being changelings from the fairy realm.
• Celtic folklore is rich with stories of changelings and fairy substitutions.
• She was a changeling of moods, happy one moment and sad the next.
• The author described the character as a changeling, constantly shifting personalities.
• In medieval times, unexplained illnesses in children were sometimes attributed to changelings.