noun
wendigo
WEHN-dih-goh
noun
1
A monstrous, cannibalistic spirit from Algonquian folklore, said to possess and corrupt those who commit acts of cannibalism or extreme greed.
"The horror novel drew on wendigo legends from Ojibwe folklore."
"Campers swapped scary stories about the wendigo said to roam the northern forests."
How to Use Wendigo
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA terrifying cannibal spirit from Indigenous North American folklore, now common in horror fiction.
Common pairings
wendigo legend
wendigo myth
Word Forms
wendigo plural, wendigos plural, wendigoes plural
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Etymology
Borrowed from Ojibwe wiindigoo, ultimately from a Proto-Algonquian word connected to owls and malevolent, cannibalistic spirits.