cryptozoology

American  

[krip-toh-zoh-ol-uh-jee] / ˌkrɪp toʊ zoʊˈɒl ə dʒi /

noun

1. the study of evidence tending to substantiate the existence of, or the search for, creatures whose reported existence is unproved, as the Abominable Snowman or the Loch Ness monster.

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cryptozoology British  

/ -zuː-, ˌkrɪptəʊzəʊˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the study of creatures, such as the Loch Ness monster, whose existence has not been scientifically proved

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Other Word Forms

• cryptozoological
  adjective
• cryptozoologist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of cryptozoology

crypto- + zoology

Explanation

If you’re an expert in cryptozoology, you probably have a whole collection of photos that people claim to have taken of the Yeti or the Loch Ness Monster. You may even have taken some yourself while on vacation in Nepal or Scotland! Cryptozoology comes from crypto-, meaning "hidden or secret," and zoology, "the study of animals." An expert in cryptozoology is a cryptozoologist. One creature investigated by cryptozoologists is the Sasquatch, a shaggy, humanlike creature supposedly seen in the forests of Canada and the United States. You can find famous photos of it, or of other such creatures, online. Two more words made with crypto- are cryptography, the study of codes or secret writing, and cryptocurrency, money that is "hidden" because it is digital only.

Example Sentences

Now, that exclusion might not seem like a big deal, but it would certainly matter to someone compiling a light-hearted guide to American cryptozoology.

From Slate • Feb. 13, 2023

Aleksander Petakov, a Nashua filmmaker, likes to focus on cryptozoology, or animals that are unusual, hidden or undiscovered.

From Washington Times • Dec. 3, 2018

“Sideshow stuff, cryptozoology stuff, anything that might fit well in the Addams Family house.”

From The New Yorker • Dec. 3, 2018

For previous Tet Zoo articles on cryptozoology and Hunting Monsters, see...

From Scientific American • Jun. 10, 2018

It received official nonprofit status in May 2015 and expanded its calendar of popular taxidermy classes and lectures on topics like cryptozoology or skulls in Renaissance comedy.

From New York Times • Dec. 20, 2016