• (RP, GA) enPR: sĭl'vən, IPA: /ˈsɪlvən/

sylvan

1. Pertaining to the forest, or woodlands.
   • 1697, “The First Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: Printed for Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 403869432 ↗, lines 231–234, page 208 ↗:

     Broke by the jutting Land, on either ſide: / In double Streams the briny Waters glide. / Betwixt two rows of Rocks, a Sylvan Scene / Appears above, and Groves for ever green: {{...}

   • 1826, [Walter Scott], chapter III, in Woodstock; Or, The Cavalier. A Tale of the Year Sixteen Hundred and Fifty-one. [...] In Three Volumes, volume I, Edinburgh: Printed [by James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, OCLC 991895633 ↗, pages 87–88 ↗:

     A little cabinet stood beside, with some of its shuttles and drawers open, displaying hawks-bells, dog-whistles, instruments for trimming a falcon's feathers, bridle-bits of various constructions, and other trifles connected with sylvan sport.

2. reside#Verb|Residing in a forest or wood.
3. wooded#Adjective|Wooded, or cover#Verb|covered in forest.

• (of or like a forest) forestlike, foresty
• (of or like a grove) grovy

• French: sylvain, sylvestre
• Portuguese: silvestre
• Russian: лесно́й
• Spanish: selvático, nemoroso

• French: sylvestre
• Spanish: silvano, silvestre, selvático, silvático

sylvan (plural sylvans)

1. One who resides in the woods.
2. A fabled deity of the wood; a faun, a satyr.
   • 1610, Saint Augustine; Io[annes] Lod[ovicus] Vives [i.e., Juan Luis Vives], “Whether It be Credible that the Angels being of an Incorporeall Nature, should Lust after the Women of the Earth, and Marrying Them, Beget Gyants of Them. Chap. 23.”, in J[ohn] H[ealey], transl., St. Avgvstine, of the Citie of God: With the Learned Comments of Io. Lod. Vives. Englished by J. H., [London]: Printed by George Eld, OCLC 677121045 ↗, book XV, page 561 ↗:

     And ſeeing it is ſo generall a report, and ſo many aver#English|auerre it eyther from their owne triall or from others, that are of indubitable honeſtie and credite, that the Syluanes and Fawnes, commonly called Incubi, haue often iniured women, deſiring and acting carnally with them: {{...}