Standard Lemma guide

cryptid

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈkɹɪp.tɪd/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A creature known only from folklore or legend, the existence of which is not proven by scientific observation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, cryptozoology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From crypt + -id. Coined by John E. Wall in 1983 in the ISC Newsletter.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: críptid — creature known only from folklore or legend, the existence of which is not proven by scientific observation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 傳聞動物 /传闻动物 (chuánwéndòngwù) — creature known only from folklore or legend, the existence of which is not proven by scientific observation
  • German: Kryptid — creature known only from folklore or legend, the existence of which is not proven by scientific observation
  • Japanese: 幻獣 (genjū) — creature known only from folklore or legend, the existence of which is not proven by scientific observation
  • Japanese: UMA (yūma) — creature known only from folklore or legend, the existence of which is not proven by scientific observation
  • Korean: 미확인동물 (mihwagindongmul) — creature known only from folklore or legend, the existence of which is not proven by scientific observation
  • Portuguese: criptídeo — creature known only from folklore or legend, the existence of which is not proven by scientific observation
  • Spanish: críptido — creature known only from folklore or legend, the existence of which is not proven by scientific observation
  • Swedish: kryptid — creature known only from folklore or legend, the existence of which is not proven by scientific observation
  • Ukrainian: крипти́д (kryptýd) — creature known only from folklore or legend, the existence of which is not proven by scientific observation