Standard Lemma guide

Nibelung

noun · 3 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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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A member of a supernatural underground race that guarded treasures and gold searched for and eventually seized by Siegfried.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Germanic

Topics: human-sciences, mysticism, mythology, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

(German mythology) any of the race of dwarfs who possessed a treasure hoard that was stolen by Siegfried

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: gnome, dwarf

3

noun

Meaning 3

(German mythology) a companion or follower of Siegfried

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: mythical being

History

Etymology

From German Nibelung, a singular form corresponding to the plural Nibelungen; from Old High German nibel (“mist”) + the patronymic ending -ung, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *nebulaz + *-ungō.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 尼伯龙人 — member of an underground, treasure-guarding race in Germanic mythology
  • Dutch: Neveling — member of an underground, treasure-guarding race in Germanic mythology
  • German: Nibelung — member of an underground, treasure-guarding race in Germanic mythology
  • Marathi: निबेलुंग (nibeluṅga) — member of an underground, treasure-guarding race in Germanic mythology
  • Portuguese: nibelungo — member of an underground, treasure-guarding race in Germanic mythology
  • Spanish: nibelungo — member of an underground, treasure-guarding race in Germanic mythology