Standard Lemma guide

gnoll

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • UK: /nəʊl/
  • US: /noʊl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -əʊl
  • homophone: knoll

1

noun

Meaning 1

A usually evil and hyena-like humanoid creature found in various forms in fantasy literature and video games.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: fantasy

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

According to A Brief History of Gnolls, by Paul Haynie, they were created by Lord Dunsany in "How Nuth Would Have Practiced His Art Upon the Gnoles", and the name was likely derived from a playing field of the Welsh All Blacks known as the Gnoll, probably derived from English knoll.