Plural of gnome; small, dwarf-like creatures from mythology and folklore, or short wise people; also garden statues shaped like these creatures.
From Medieval Latin 'gnomus,' possibly derived from Greek 'gnōme' (knowledge, thought). The word may also relate to 'gnosis' (knowledge). Renaissance alchemists used 'gnome' to describe earth-dwelling creatures.
Garden gnomes became a massive industry in Germany in the 1800s, and now there are approximately 25 million of them in British gardens alone! What started as folkloric creatures became mass-produced lawn ornaments—a journey from myth to kitsch.
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