catoblepas

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/kəˈtɒblɪpəs//kæ-//-blɛ-//-bliː-/

noun

A legendary creature from Ethiopia, said to have the body of a Cape buffalo, scales on its back, and the head of a wild boar, which always points downward because of its weight.

OriginLatin catōblepās ← Ancient Greek κᾰτῶβλεψ →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nouncatoblepas (plural catoblepae or catoblepones)

plural catoblepae · plural catoblepones

  1. A legendary creature from Ethiopia, said to have the body of a Cape buffalo, scales on its back, and the head of a wild boar, which always points downward because of its weight.

    Behind them, blindfolded and muzzled, came catoblepones.

    2019, Joel Puga, The Journeys of the Sorcerer
    1 more example

    The most obvious curseinflicting monsters that came to mind were Basilisks, Cockatrices, and Catoblepones.

    2022, Patora Fuyuhara, In Another World With My Smartphone

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekκᾰτῶβλεψ
  2. Latincatōblepās
  3. Englishcatoblepas

Borrowed from Latin catōblepās, from Ancient Greek κᾰτῶβλεψ (kătôbleps), κᾰτωβλέπων (kătōblépōn), κᾰτώβλεπον (kătṓblepon, “down-looker”), from κᾰτᾰβλέπω (kătăblépō, “to look downwards”, from κᾰτᾰ́ (kătắ) + βλέπω (blépō)).

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech catoblephas
  • catoblephasmythological creature
Finnish katoblepas
  • katoblepasmythological creature
French catoblépas
  • catoblépasmythological creature
German Katoblepas
  • Katoblepasmythological creature
Italian catoblepa
  • catoblepamythological creature
Japanese カトブレパス
  • カトブレパスmythological creature
Polish katoblepas
  • katoblepasmythological creature
Portuguese catóblepa
  • catóblepamythological creature
Russian катоблепас
  • катоблепас (katoblepas)mythological creature
Spanish catoblepas, catóblepon
  • catoblepasmythological creature
  • catóbleponmythological creature
  • catoblepamythological creature
Thai คาโตเบลพาส
  • คาโตเบลพาสmythological creature
Ukrainian катоблепас
  • катоблепас (katoblepas)mythological creature
Cite this entry
APA

catoblepas. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catoblepas

MLA

“catoblepas.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catoblepas. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “catoblepas,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catoblepas.

Source: catoblepas on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.