Creature Meaning
/ˈkɹiː.tʃə/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA living being, such as an animal, monster, or alien.
nounAn unidentified, mysterious, and often monstrous animal or being.
Sentence Examples
I don't know what kind of creature is making such a terrible noise outside tonight.
If it were not for water, no creature could live.
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CEFR Practice Quiz
A strange green ____ emerged from the swamp and blinked at us.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English creature in the original sense of “a created thing”, borrowed via Old French creature, criature, from Latin creātūra, from creō. By surface analysis, create + -ure. Displaced native Old English ġesċeaft. Doublet of craythur and critter.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"But what would be the sentiment of uppertendom, when it should be rumored that the beautiful young creature, of the proud Clarence Delwood's choice, had stooped so low, as to maintain herself by her own hands?"
— 1859, Ferna Vale, Natalie; or, A Gem Among the Sea-Weeds:
"Urologists often want live sea horses for study of kidney disorders, for the sea horse is one of the few marine creatures with functioning kidneys."
— 1960, William Bittle Gray, Creatures of the Sea, New York : W. Funk:
"But he began writing articles for The Saturday Evening Post, Esquire, and Colliers, and having finally chosen to become a journalist, has written All Creatures Great and Small about his first love[…]"
— 1963, Daniel Pratt Mannix, All Creatures Great and Small:
"One answer to that is “No”: sounds exist in the perspective of creatures who can hear, although sound waves would still be bouncing around in the absence of such creatures."
— 2018 June 18, Christine M. Korsgaard, Fellow Creatures: Our Obligations to the Other Animals, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 27:
"Creatures are fascinating. From miniscule bugs to great beasts of the deep, ferocious dinosaurs to cuddly-looking pandas."
— 2019 February 7, James Olstein, Odd Science – Incredible Creatures, Pavilion Children's, →ISBN:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
A strange green ____ emerged from the swamp and blinked at us.