cryptid
English
[edit]
Etymology
[edit]From crypt + -id. Coined by John E. Wall in 1983 in the ISC Newsletter.[1]
Pronunciation
[edit]Noun
[edit]cryptid (plural cryptids)
- (cryptozoology) A creature known only from folklore or legend, the existence of which is not proven by scientific observation.
- 1999 August 16, Steve Burgess, “Loren Coleman, Loch Ness snowman of cryptozoology”, in salon.com:
- Now comes perhaps the cleverest tag of all: cryptozoology. It refers to the search for new animals, animals dwelling in unexpected places, and most importantly for "X-Files" scriptwriters, "cryptids"—legendary creatures such as the yeti.
- 2025 November 9, Zach Hadel, Michael Cusack, “Pim and Charlie Save Mother Nature” (01:06 from the start), in Smiling Friends, season 3, episode 5, spoken by Mr. Boss (Marc M.), via Cartoon Network:
- Well, that's a painting of the mysterious Brown Blur. It's a cryptid that allegedly roams these very woods.
Descendants
[edit]Translations
[edit]creature known only from folklore or legend, the existence of which is not proven by scientific observation
References
[edit]- ^ Wall, John E. (1983), “Cryptoletters”, in The ISC Newsletter, volume 2, number 2, Washington, D.C.: International Society of Cryptozoology, page 10, column 3:
- The Spring, 1983, issue featured an interview with Paul LeBlond and Forrest Wood, in which it was suggested that new terms be coined to replace sensational and often misleading terms like "monster". / My suggestion is "cryptid," meaning a living thing having the quality of being hidden or unknown.
Further reading
[edit]- “cryptid”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, →ISBN.
- “cryptid, n.”, in Collins English Dictionary.
- “cryptid, n.”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
- “cryptid, n.”, in OED Online
, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
