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selkie

American  
[sil-kee] / ˈsɪl ki /
Rarely sealchie sometimes silkie

noun

Scot.
  1. a mythical creature that looks like a seal in water but assumes human form on land.


selkie British  
/ ˈsɛlkɪ /

noun

  1. a variant of silkie

"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

Etymology

Origin of selkie

First recorded in 1685–95; Scots dialect (Orkney and Shetland Islands) variant of seal 2 ( def. )

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.

See Examples For:

She puts it on and is revealed to be a selkie, as at home in the waters as she is on land.

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 8, 2015

She had pictured almost a modern selkie baby, large-eyed and at peace in the waves, wise beyond her days, able to cope with the modern world of rising tides and temperatures.

From Nature Nov. 4, 2014

At first, the character’s decorative appeal is enough, particularly because Annie insists that Ondine is a selkie, a mythical sea creature — half human, half seal — which justifies the strange woman’s vague, mysterioso vibe.

From New York Times Jun. 3, 2010

She neither confirms nor denies that she's a selkie.

From Time Jun. 3, 2010

The selkie stories of seal creatures were well known, oft told, and in all of them there was a shed skin.

From "Son" by Lois Lowry

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