Meaning
A small, mischievous humanoid creature in Iberian (Spanish/Portuguese), Latin American, and Philippine folklore/mythology; an imp.
Etymology
Origin: Spanish
Borrowed from Spanish duende and (especially in reference to Portuguese or Brazilian folklore) Portuguese duende. Doublet of duwende.
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.