-liŋ, -lēŋ noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from god + -ling
1. : an inferior or purely local deity : a supernatural being midway between a god and a fetish
the friendly little godlings who presided over the routine of daily life — John Buchan
as futile as the petty godlings … which they worship — James Muilenburg
2. : the image of a godling
the magic that he carries in his calabash is a godling — Padraic Colum