Definition

Noun: 1. A water spirit in Scottish folklore: A kelpy is a mythical creature from Scottish folklore that typically appears as a horse. It is said to inhabit lakes and rivers and is known for luring people, especially children, onto its back before dragging them into the water to drown.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The old tale warned children not to go near the loch at dusk, lest the kelpy emerge.
  • In the story, the kelpy was said to have a mane of seaweed and a hide as cold as the deep water.

Advanced Usage

• "to be kelpy-led": An archaic Scottish phrase meaning to be led astray or bewildered, often in misty conditions, as if by a kelpy's magic.
  • The travelers, lost in the fog, felt they had been kelpy-led.

Variants and Related Words

• Kelpie (n): The more common and standard spelling for this mythical creature. The two forms, and , are used interchangeably.
  • The sculpture by the river depicts a kelpie.

Synonyms

• Water horse: A direct descriptive synonym.
• Each-uisge (n): The Scottish Gaelic name for a similar, often more malevolent, water spirit.
• Nix (n): A water spirit in Germanic folklore, often shapeshifting.

Related Idioms

• "Beware the kelpy's back": A proverbial warning against accepting offers that seem tempting but are dangerously deceptive.
  • The investment sounded too good to be true; remember to beware the kelpy's back.

Noun

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