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Kelpie

noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A malevolent shapeshifting spirit, most often in the form of a horse, believed to haunt the rivers and lochs of Scotland.

    "He was a boy in form, and an antediluvian in feature. Some thought he was a mule, between a Jew and an ape; some a wizard, some a kelpie, or a fairy, but most of all, that he was really and truly a Brownie."

  2. 2
    an Australian sheepdog with pointed ears wordnet
  3. 3
    An Australian breed of sheepdog.

    "There was no sound but the endless noise of forest and river, and the sleep-whimper of his kelpie."

  4. 4
    (Scottish folklore) water spirit in the form of a horse that likes to drown its riders wordnet

Etymology

Possibly from Scottish Gaelic cailpeach or colpach, meaning "colt". The dog breed derives from the name shared by the first two breeding bitches (dam and pup), which in turn derives from the mythological spirit.

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