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

Alex is caught up in an adventure involving the discovery of an abandoned cub of an elusive, if not mythical, creature, the chupacabra.

From Washington Post • Apr. 7, 2023

But the trip surprises him, in no small part because of the adorable mythical creature, a baby chupacabra, he encounters in his grandfather’s barn.

From New York Times • Apr. 6, 2023

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

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