Standard Lemma guide
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
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noun
A malevolent shapeshifting spirit, most often in the form of a horse, believed to haunt the rivers and lochs of Scotland.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: Celtic mythology
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An Australian breed of sheepdog.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
an Australian sheepdog with pointed ears
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: shepherd dog, sheepdog, sheep dog
noun
(Scottish folklore) water spirit in the form of a horse that likes to drown its riders
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: kelpy
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: evil spirit
History
Possibly from Scottish Gaelic cailpeach or colpach, meaning "colt"; recorded earliest in a placename (Kelpie hoall, Kirkcudbrightshire) in 17th century. The dog breed, from 1889, derives from the name shared by the first two breeding bitches (dam and pup) in Victoria, Australia, which in turn derives from the mythological spirit.
Across languages
25 source translations are retained for this English entry.
