chupacabra

American  

[choo-puh--kah-bruh] / ˌtʃu pə ˈkɑ brə /

noun

1. a blood-sucking, hairless creature of Latin American legend that is said to attack livestock, especially goats.

   We concluded that the chupacabra sightings in Texas were most likely coyotes with mange.

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Etymology

Origin of chupacabra

First recorded in 1995–2000; from Spanish, literally “goat sucker,” equivalent to chupar “to suck” + cabra “goat,” possibly a translation of Latin caprimulgus; see capri- ( def. ), milk ( def. ), goatsucker ( def. )

Example Sentences

This dire menace to clown kind is about as real as the chupacabra.

From Salon • May 16, 2024

They walked past me as if I had cooties, or stared with disdain from inside the restaurant like I was a chupacabra.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2024

Ask ChatGPT to “provide cryptid legends from southeast Texas,” and its response is likely to include the chupacabra, but not the Wild Man of Navidad.

From Slate • Feb. 13, 2023

They find what they call a chupacabra under a bridge, and hope their photos of the poor animal will go viral.

From New York Times • Mar. 18, 2019

Patches covered the entire back panel with moons, rocket ships, skulls, alien heads, and something that looked like a chupacabra.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova