cryptid

[ krip-tid ]

noun

1. a creature whose reported existence is unproved, such as Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster: the subject of cryptozoology:

   The most famous evidence for Bigfoot is film footage shot in 1967 that purports to show the cryptid running through the woods.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cryptid¹

First recorded in 1980–85; crypt(o)- ( def ) + -id ²( def )