n. 1 a a dwarfish legendary creature supposed to guard the earth's treasures underground; a goblin. b a figure of a gnome, esp. as a garden ornament. 2 (esp. in pl.) colloq. a person with sinister influence, esp. financial (gnomes of Zurich). gnomish adj.
[ F f. mod.L gnomus (word invented by Paracelsus) ]