yeti
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of yeti
First recorded in 1950–55; < the Tibetan language of the Sherpas
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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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Sold
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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.
Yeti Holdings has reclaimed its 200-week simple moving average for the first time in three years after a rally.
From Barron's • Dec. 11, 2025
In a year when snooker's maximum break, once considered as suppositious as the Himalayan Yeti, has repeatedly shown up for the cameras, it fell to O'Sullivan to show that nobody does it better.
From BBC • Dec. 2, 2025
First make your home “like a Yeti cooler,” says Alpen’s chief executive, Andrew Zech.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
“If you’re on an oxygen concentrator or a hoyer lift, Edison has us delivering Goal Zero Yeti battery back up so you can plug in your medical device,” Nash explained.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2025
"There have been many sightings of the Yeti," the reporter said.
From "Case of the Sneaky Snowman: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #5" by Carolyn Keene
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.
