yowie

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Gamilaraay yuwi (“dream spirit”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: you'wi, IPA^(key): /ˈjaʊwi/

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aʊi

Noun

yowie (plural yowies)

1. (Australia, cryptozoology) An ape-like monster or animal said to exist in parts of eastern Australia. [from 20th c.]
   • 1986, Bruce Pascoe, ‘The Slaughters of the Bulumwaal Butcher’, in Heiss & Minter (eds.), Macquarie PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature, Allen & Unwin 2008, p. 101:

     The white population claimed that an escaped panther from a travelling circus was the culprit; others thought that a Yowie was responsible.

See also

• abominable snowman
• Bigfoot
• bunyip
• menk
• min min lights
• sasquatch
• yeti

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Scots

Noun

yowie (plural yowies)

1. diminutive of yowe (“ewe”)