In Breton folklore, a personification of Death itself—depicted as a tall skeleton or corpse that carries a scythe and hunts for those about to die.
From Breton "ankou," possibly related to Old Breton terms. The word remained primarily in Breton regional folklore until it was documented by folklorists and appears in Breton literature and legend collections.
The Breton ankou is basically their Grim Reaper, except folklore says you can actually hear him coming—the sound of his cart or footsteps warns you that death is near, so he's less scary and more like an ominous alarm clock.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.