Squatch

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An informal name for Bigfoot, a legendary large hairy humanlike creature said to inhabit remote forests of North America
2. A nickname for the hypothetical ape-like beast of the Pacific Northwest woods, often described as tall, shaggy and elusive
3. The shortened name for a mythical hairy primate-like monster that some people claim to have glimpsed in wilderness areas

Etymology: "Squatch" is a clipped form of "sasquatch," the name for the large, hairy, ape-like creature said to roam the forests of North America. "Sasquatch" itself comes from Halkomelem, a Salishan language of the Pacific Northwest, where "sásq'ets" meant something like "wild man" or "hairy man." English speakers borrowed the term from that source, and the shorter form is an informal clipping of it.

Synonyms: sasquatch, bigfoot