selkie

[ sil-kee ]

noun

, Scot.

1. a mythical creature that looks like a seal in water but assumes human form on land.

selkie

/ ˈsɛlkɪ /

noun

1. a variant of silkie

Word History and Origins

Origin of selkie¹

First recorded in 1685–95; Scots dialect (Orkney and Shetland Islands) variant of seal ²( def )

Example Sentences

If you spend any time on social media, you have probably seen the Selkie puff dress.

From Washington Post

Selkie founder Kimberley Gordon, 40, had a mega-hit.

From Washington Post

She owns The Selkie cafe bar in Dundee, a bakery, and a housekeeping business called At Your Service.

From BBC

Roaming the coastal Ireland of her ancestors, she felt all the more fascinated by one of her favorite Celtic myths, that of the selkie, seals that shed their skin to walk on land as people.

From Los Angeles Times

On their journey back, he learns that Saoirse is a selkie, an aquatic shape shifter that can temporarily assume human form.

From New York Times