Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Something created.
- n. A living being, especially an animal: land creatures; microscopic creatures in a drop of water.
- n. A human.
- n. An imaginary or fantastical being: mythological creatures; a creature from outer space.
- n. One dependent on or subservient to another.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A created thing; hence, a thing in general, animate or inanimate.
- n. Specifically, and most commonly, a living created being; an animal or animate being.
- n. In a limited sense, a human being: used absolutely or with an epithet (poor, idle, low, etc., or good, pretty, sweet, etc.), in contempt, commiseration, or endearment: as, an idle creature; what a creature! a pretty creature; a sweet creature.
- n. Something regarded as created by, springing from, or entirely dependent upon something else.
- n. Specifically, a person who owes his rise and fortune to another; one who is subject to the will or influence of another; an instrument; a tool.
- n. Intoxicating drink, especially whisky.
- Of or belonging to the body: as, creature comforts.
Wiktionary
- n. A created thing, whether animate or inanimate; a creation.
- n. A living being; an animal or human.
- n. A being subservient to or dependent upon another.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. Anything created; anything not self-existent; especially, any being created with life; an animal; a man.
- n. A human being, in pity, contempt, or endearment.
- n. A person who owes his rise and fortune to another; a servile dependent; an instrument; a tool.
- n. A general term among farmers for horses, oxen, etc.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a human being; `wight' is an archaic term
- n. a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
- n. a person who is controlled by others and is used to perform unpleasant or dishonest tasks for someone else
Examples
“When I used the term creature, I was intuitively referring to the notion of strange/unnatural velocities of transformations within systems.”
“In this 2009 horror movie -- which I advise you not to watch -- an insanely evil doctor abducts three people (a man and two women) in order to conduct a hideous experiment: he transforms them into the title creature by removing their kneecaps and grafting them together, mouth to anus.”
“The lessons come in more abstract forms too, like the title creature or man? of “Amanitas,” who submits to an unspecified temptation and is subsequently punished by his ambiguous female temptress.”
“White Pongo – the title creature a legendary white gorilla.”
I Did This So You Don’t Have To – Part 4 « It Doesn't Have To Be Right…
“Kishida's older sister Eriko Kishida was a poet and children's book author and her cousin Shin Kishida played the title creature in Michio Yamamoto's 1971 film LAKE OF THE VAMPIRE.”
“There are one or two CGI shots – and one very effective money shot of the title creature – but this is perfect low budget film making.”
“By the term creature, I mean that which has been created; as, a dog, water, dirt.”
“The Host takes familiar genre elements and then crushes them in much the same way the title creature runs amok along the Seoul riverbank it calls home," writes”
“This creature is also 50 meters tall and would remain this size for the following Godzilla movies through to Terror or Mecha Godzilla (1975).”
“For certainly a creature is abominable that lays rough hands on one's dearest possessions.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘creature’.
-
UK Usage - Find US Equivalent
All these terms have a (different) American English equivalent. Wonder if you can identify them?
abridgement (abri..., accoutrement, accoutre, acknowledgement (..., opposite, advert, adaptor, adapter, sticking plaster, advertise, adviser (advisor ..., adze, aesthete and 1196 more...
-
ghost
This is Ghost List 2 ( the kind that go 'boo!' ) :P
phantom, spectral, specter, spectre, spooky, poltergeist, haunt, spirit, banshee, cryptic, shadow, phantasm and 294 more...
-
Kangaroo Words
Words containing letters in sequence, together or apart, that form a definition or instance of the subsuming word. E.g., conTAmINaTe = the kangaroo word. TAINT = the joey. Theme from a NYT X-word ...
encourage, chariot, precipitation, neurotic, feaster, unsightly, charisma, inheritor, masculine, honorable, contaminate, regulate and 103 more...
-
the indelible ink of personality
nefarious, mischievious, bawdy, intense, blunt, steadfast, succulent, edible, nature, creature, truth, touch and 28 more...

oroboros CreATure
cReATure
CreatURe Jun 15, 2008