legendary creature
1
7.0
- noun
- /ˈlɛdʒənˌdɛri ˈkriːtʃər/
- Literature
- Local folklore claims that a legendary creature roams the mountains, bringing fortune to those who catch a glimpse of it.
Examples
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I offer you a glimpse of a legendary creature lost in time and proof... proof, I tell you... that man's primate ancestors are not just tall tales and flights of fancy, but alive and well and living in the New World.
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You plan to travel all the way around the world to the Himalayas, looking for this, uh, legendary creature.
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" They're legendary creatures, part dog, part lion, you know.
Fiction book (1997) -
"Crookston Bigfoot," probably your only chance to see the legendary creature with your own eyes.
Blog text (31) -
Many stories describe the legendary creature as a guardian of the forest, blending magic and mystery.
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The museum displayed artifacts related to the legendary creature known for its role in ancient myths.
Synonyms
6
5.9
An imaginary being like a dragon or unicorn with magical powers
3
6.5
A made-up creature from old stories or folk tales
1
6.0
A made-up being that exists only in stories or imagination
1
6.6
An animal that only appears in stories and myths, not in real life
How Legendary
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is transparently built from 'legendary' (relating to legend or famous in stories) modifying 'creature' (an animal or imaginary being), so a learner who knows both words can infer an animal described in legend or folklore. This follows a regular adjective + noun composition common across languages, making the phrase immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
The name legendary creature comes from old stories about strange animals and beings that people told to explain the unknown. The word legendary comes from 'legend' meaning a famous story and creature means an animal or being, so the phrase now means an animal from 'myth' or a story that is 'not proven'.