kelpie
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
noun
Etymology
Origin of kelpie1
First recorded in 1740–50; origin uncertain
Origin of kelpie2
First recorded in 1905–10
Explanation
A kelpie is a scary fictional character, a Scottish water spirit that shifts its shape between a horse and a human. Kelpies are known for their love of drowning people. For years, stories about kelpies have been used by parents as a way of warning children to be cautious around bodies of water. In some paintings of kelpies, they're pictured in human form but with hooves. Another kind of kelpie is the sheepdog breed which is associated with Australia, but which originated in Scotland and was named for the water spirit. The word comes from the Gaelic colpach, "steer or colt."
Vocabulary lists containing kelpie
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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A Mythical Menagerie
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His kelpie dropped a ball at my feet, tail wagging, and I threw it without thinking.
From New York Times • Sep. 30, 2022
Thanks to farmer James for showing Jodie and me some five week old kelpie pups at the Sydney Royal @eastershow this morning.
From Washington Post • Apr. 10, 2022
Neither was his dog, a kelpie named Kellie.
From New York Times • Aug. 11, 2018
Red Dog Australia, Rest of the world 88 mins Kriv Stenders Josh Lucas, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Noah Taylor, Rachael Taylor Koko, a red cloud kelpie, has been the surprise breakout talent of 2011 in Australia.
From The Guardian • Feb. 9, 2012
The correct means to overcome a kelpie is to get a bridle over its head with a Placement Charm, which renders it docile and unthreatening.
From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
