Neagh

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The largest freshwater lake in the British Isles, lying in the heart of Northern Ireland and known as Lough Neagh
2. A vast inland lake in Northern Ireland that is the biggest body of freshwater in the British Isles
3. Lough Neagh, the expansive freshwater lake located in the central part of Northern Ireland and the largest of its kind in the British Isles

Etymology: The lake's name is tied to one of Ireland's best-known legends. In the story, the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill tore up a clod of earth and hurled it at a Scottish giant, Benandonner, who was threatening him across the sea. The clod missed and landed in the Irish Sea to form the Isle of Man, and the hole it left filled with water to become the lake. The English name is an anglicised form of the Irish "Loch nEathach," in which "loch" means lake. The meaning of the second element is uncertain, and no explanation is generally accepted.