changeling

1. (European folklore, also figurative) In pre-modern European folklore: an infant of a magical creature that was secretly exchanged for a human infant. In British, Irish and Scandinavian mythology the exchanged infants were thought to be those of fairies, sprites or trolls; in other places, they were ascribed to demons, devils, or witches.Examples: "[S]he, as her attendant, hath / A louely boy ſtollen, from an Indian king: / She neuer had ſo ſweete a changeling."; "Every Lover admires his miſtris, though ſhee be very deformed of her ſelfe, [...] her feet ſtinke, ſhee breed lice, a meere changeling, a very monſter, [...]: if he loue her once, he admires her for all this, he takes no notice of any ſuch errors, or imperfections of body or minde."; "Juſt as a Changeling ſeems below the reſt / Of Men, or rather is a two-legg’d Beaſt, / So theſe Gigantick Souls amaz'd we find / As much above the reſt of human kind."Synonyms: auf, oaf, swaplingEuropeanalsofiguratively

2. (by extension) A person or object (especially when regarded as inferior) secretly exchanged for something else.Examples: "When I firſt read Mr. Walker’s Circular Letter to the Arch-deacons, I fancied he intended to give us an Account of thoſe worthy Men, [...] But after about ten Years going with this Work, and that the Time of its Birth was come, I ſoon found it to be a perfect Changeling. Inſtead of what I expected it to be, I ſaw a huge Heap of the moſt Heterogeneous Characters, [...] a great many of them much more deſerving to have their Names blotted out, than their Memory to be preſerved."broadly

3. (by extension, informal, rare) An infant secretly exchanged with another infant deliberately or by mistake; a swapling.broadlyinformalrare

4. (fantasy, science fiction) An organism which can change shape to mimic others; a shape-shifter.Synonyms: changeling, shape-shifter, shapeshifter, shifter

5. (archaic, also figurative) A person apt to change their loyalty or thinking; a waverer.Examples: "To face the garment of rebellion / With ſome fine colour that may pleaſe the eye / Of fickle changlings and poore diſcontents, / Which gape and rub the elbow at the newes / Of hurly-burly innouation, [...]"; "Fal[staff]. [...] If you will lodge with me in Eaſtcheap, you ſhall ſee the thouſand pound fairly ſpent in ſack: you ſhall ſhare with me to the utmoſt farthing. But for dry reſtitution, I have not been accustom'd to it of many years. You would not have me a changeling at this time of day, I hope, Maſter Shallow. / Shal[low]. Changeling! no, Sir John, thou art no changeling; but, depend on it, I will not put up with this wrong. [...] I will have my money; depend on't I will have my money."; "What words are these have fall’n from me? ⁠Can calm despair and wild unrest ⁠Be tenants of a single breast, Or sorrow such a changeling be?"Synonyms: turncoatalsoarchaicfiguratively

6. (obsolete) An idiot, a simpleton.Examples: "They alſo obſerue Lunaticks and changelings, and the Coniurer writeth downe their ſayings in a booke, groueling on the ground, as if he whiſperd to the Deuill to tell him the truth, and ſo expoundeth the letter, as it were by inſpiration."; "We wander in the Fields of Air below: / Changlings and Fooles of Heav'n: and thence ſhut out, / Wildly we roam in diſcontent about: [...]"; "[C]an there be any one Sort of Men that enjoy themſelves better than thoſe which we call Idiots, Changelings, Fools, and Naturals? It may perhaps ſound harſh, but upon due Conſideration it will be found abundantly true, that theſe Perſons in all Circumſtances fare beſt, and live moſt comfortably: [...]"Synonyms: addle-brain, addlehead, addle pate, airhead, baboon, beanbrain, beetlebrain, beetleheadobsolete