kelpie

1
[ kel-pee ]
/ ˈkɛl pi /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR kelpie ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

(in Scottish legends) a water spirit, usually having the form of a horse, reputed to cause drownings or to warn those in danger of drowning.

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Origin of kelpie

1
First recorded in 1740–50; origin uncertain

Words nearby kelpie

kelp bass, kelp crab, kelp greenling, kelper, kelpfish, kelpie, kelpy, kelsey, kelso, kelson, kelt

Definition for kelpie (2 of 2)

kelpie2
[ kel-pee ]
/ ˈkɛl pi /

noun

Australian kelpie.

Origin of kelpie

2
First recorded in 1905–10
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to kelpie

phantom, devil, demon, soul, shadow, specter, vision, vampire, apparition, spook, appearance, visitor, spirit, revenant, doppelganger, phantasm, banshee, haunt, bogeyman, bogey

Example sentences from the Web for kelpie

British Dictionary definitions for kelpie (1 of 2)

kelpie1

kelpy

/ (ˈkɛlpɪ) /

noun plural -pies

an Australian breed of sheepdog, originally developed from Scottish collies, having a smooth coat of various colours and erect ears

Word Origin for kelpie

named after a particular specimen of the breed, c. 1870

British Dictionary definitions for kelpie (2 of 2)

kelpie2
/ (ˈkɛlpɪ) /

noun

(in Scottish folklore) a water spirit in the form of a horse that drowned its riders

Word Origin for kelpie

C18: probably related to Scottish Gaelic cailpeach heifer, of obscure origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012