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bunyip

 - 3 dictionary results

bun⋅yip

  [buhn-yip] Australian.
Use bunyip in a Sentence
–noun
1. a mythical creature of Aboriginal legend said to inhabit water and watercourses.
2. an impostor.
–adjective
3. counterfeit; phony.
Origin:
1840–50; < Wergaia (Australian Aboriginal language of the Wimmera area, Victoria) banib
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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bun·yip   (bŭn'yĭp)   
n.   Australian

  1. An imaginary monster inhabiting swamps and lagoons.

  2. An imposter; a fake.


[Wemba-wemba (Aboriginal language of southeast Australia) banib.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

bunyip

in Australian Aboriginal folklore, a legendary monster said to inhabit the reedy swamps and lagoons of the interior of Australia. The amphibious animal was variously described as having a round head, an elongated neck, and a body resembling that of an ox, hippopotamus, or manatee; some accounts gave it a human figure. The bunyip purportedly made booming or roaring noises and was given to devouring human prey, especially women and children. The origin of the belief probably lies in the rare appearance of fugitive seals far upstream; the monster's alleged cry may be that of the bittern marsh bird.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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