yeti
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of yeti
First recorded in 1950–55; < the Tibetan language of the Sherpas
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How does yeti compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A yeti is a mythical creature that's said to live in the Himalayan mountains. Another name for a yeti is "abominable snowman." While most people consider the yeti to be a legend, there are those who believe it's a real human-like creature that lives in Nepal and Tibet. The yeti — which is often spelled with a capital Y — has long been part of Tibetan legend and myth, and has existed in Western popular culture since the 19th century, when Himalayan explorers first reported seeing a strange, tall creature. The Tibetan root of yeti is yeh-teh, "small manlike animal."
Vocabulary lists containing yeti
Before the Ever After
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Odd One Out
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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.
See Examples For:
“Imagine you had to publish a debunking of the yeti in the yeti-hunting journal and the only people who peer review it are yeti experts,” he says.
From Science Magazine ● Nov. 20, 2024
Also known as a sasquatch or a yeti.
From New York Times ● Oct. 18, 2023
A huggable gray marled knit featured the brand name emblazoned across it and led the way for myriad shaggy, multicolor retro looks that came across as part-Woodstock, part mythical yeti.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 18, 2023
“He’s a big beer yeti who just cares for the people around him. When he asks how you’re doing, he genuinely wants to know, and that’s bled through the business.”
From Washington Times ● Oct. 10, 2020
Muggle sightings of the yeti have been so numerous that the International Confederation of Wizards felt it necessary to station an International Task Force in the mountains on a permanent basis.
From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling
"This amendment would make sure that we are protecting yetis, or Sasquatch or Bigfoot, from whatever this conspiracy is that we're passing in this legislation," he said during debate.
From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2024
A society of isolated yetis lives high in the snowy mountains, and their community has a set of strict laws that are etched in stone, literally.
From New York Times ● Feb. 2, 2024
By contrast, someone who says they encountered "ghosts, yetis, spirits, elves and other mythical/legendary entities" is classified as "AN3."
From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2022
There are fantasy reborns based on Pennywise the Dancing Clown and the Grinch, hybrid baby-animals, yetis, and ogres.
From The Verge ● Mar. 10, 2022
“Are the yetis really as bad as everyone makes them seem?”
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
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.
