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kelpie

1 American  
[kel-pee] / ˈkɛl pi /

noun

  1. (in Scottish legends) a water spirit, usually having the form of a horse, reputed to cause drownings or to warn those in danger of drowning.

kelpie 2 American  
[kel-pee] / ˈkɛl pi /

noun

  1. Australian kelpie.

kelpie 1 British  
/ ˈkɛlpɪ /

noun

  1. an Australian breed of sheepdog, originally developed from Scottish collies, having a smooth coat of various colours and erect ears

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
kelpie 2 British  
/ ˈkɛlpɪ /

noun

  1. (in Scottish folklore) a water spirit in the form of a horse that drowned its riders

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of kelpie1

First recorded in 1740–50; origin uncertain

Origin of kelpie2

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His kelpie dropped a ball at my feet, tail wagging, and I threw it without thinking.

From New York Times • Sep. 30, 2022

Thanks to farmer James for showing Jodie and me some five week old kelpie pups at the Sydney Royal @eastershow this morning.

From Washington Post • Apr. 10, 2022

Neither was his dog, a kelpie named Kellie.

From New York Times • Aug. 11, 2018

Our kelpie puppy, Myschka, quickly became overly familiar with Chauncey until finally she seemed, to me, like a bad idea.

From The Guardian • Aug. 23, 2015

The unstinting efforts of this office in persuading Muggles that all photographic evidence of the Loch Ness kelpie is fake have gone some way to salvaging a situation that at one time looked exceedingly dangerous.

From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.