kelpie

1 of 2

noun (1)

kel·​pie ˈkel-pē How to pronounce kelpie (audio)
Synonyms of kelpienext
: any of a breed of energetic working dogs developed in Australia from British sheepdogs

kelpie

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a water sprite of Scottish folklore that delights in or brings about the drowning of wayfarers

Examples of kelpie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Maeve learns that the legends she was raised on — stories of faeries, kelpies and seelies — are actually true. Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026 Al, however, seemed partial to the kelpies, shape-shifting water sprites which most often appear in the form of a horse luring the unsuspecting to watery graves. Patti Nickell, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026 In a September 27 Instagram video, an Australian kelpie named Bats was at work with another dog. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2025 At first the dog was said to be a German shepherd mix confined in a closet, but this was later corrected to being an Australian kelpie mix in a crate. Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Kelpie, name of a dog of this breed

Noun (2)

perhaps from Scottish Gaelic cailpeach, colpach heifer, colt

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1903, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1747, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kelpie was in 1747

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kelpie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kelpie. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on kelpie

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster