Loch Ness monster

noun

1. a large aquatic animal resembling a serpent or a plesiosaurlike reptile, reported to have been seen in the waters of Loch Ness, Scotland, but not proved to exist.

Loch Ness Monster

1. A gigantic, humped, dragonlike creature thought to inhabit the icy depths of Loch Ness, a lake in north-central Scotland. Periodic sightings of “Nessie” have been alleged since the early 1930s (though the legend of such a creature dates to the seventh century), but the monster remains elusive.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Loch Ness Monster¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

This is not a search for the Loch Ness monster.

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The mystery of the fabled Loch Ness monster endures despite a weekend of mass-participation Nessie hunting.

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Monster hunters are gathering in northern Scotland this weekend for what is being billed as the biggest search for the Loch Ness monster in 50 years.

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“Right now, it’s like finding a fossil with a long neck and making inferences that confuse a giraffe with the Loch Ness monster, because we don’t have enough information,” Dr. Rougier said.

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According to Sotheby’s, many have drawn comparisons between plesiosaurs and the Loch Ness monster of Scottish folklore, as the plesiosaur’s long neck, small head and flippers mirror recorded descriptions of the fabled monster.

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