thunder beast
A legendary creature associated with lightning and thunder, as well as the god Raijin,…A legendary creature associated with lightning and thunder, as well as the god Raijin, and depicted as various animals.
Meaning
2 sensesA legendary creature associated with lightning and thunder, as well as the god Raijin, and depicted as various animals.
A brontothere: any member of the family †Brontotheriidae of extinct odd-toed ungulates, some of which developed bony nose horns and superficially resemble rhinos.
Origin
Calque from Japanese 雷獣(らいじゅう) (raijū) A calque of taxonomic name Brontotheriidae, whichCalque from Japanese 雷獣(らいじゅう) (raijū)
A calque of taxonomic name Brontotheriidae, which is derived from Ancient Greek βροντή (brontḗ, “thunder”) + θηρίον (thēríon, “beast”) + -idae, or else from its probable source, calque of Lakota wakíŋyaŋ, conventionally translated as "thunder beast" when referring to these creatures, though also translated as "thunderer" and literally "the flying one".
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Forms
plural: thunder beasts| Singular | thunder beast |
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| Plural | thunder beasts |
regular