noun
lycanthrope
LYE-kun-throhp/ˈlaɪkənˌθroʊp/
A person believed to transform into a wolf.
In the legend, a lycanthrope becomes a wolf after sunset.
Etymology
The pieces mean “wolf-man.” The word first described someone who imagined himself a wolf and behaved like one, then came to name a person believed to transform supernaturally into a wolf.
In context
so what is a werewolf or the other names for the creature would be such as lycanthrope
More examples
- The villagers suspect their neighbor is a lycanthrope.
- Some tales describe lycanthropes changing only during a full moon.
- The novel follows a lycanthrope who hides his secret.
Forms
lycanthrope · lycanthropes
lycanthropy noun — The supposed transformation of humans into wolves.
Similar words
- werewolf
- The more familiar term for the same legendary creature.
- shapeshifter
- A broader term for beings that change into other forms.