Bandersnatch

/ˈbændərˌsnætʃ/ noun

Definition

A fictional creature from Lewis Carroll's 'The Hunting of the Snark,' described as a frumious and dangerous beast; used to describe an imaginary or hard-to-define creature.

Etymology

Created by Lewis Carroll, likely blending 'bander' or 'bandit' with 'snatch.' Carroll was famous for inventing nonsense words that nonetheless feel like they should exist.

Kelly Says

Carroll invented Bandersnatch over 150 years ago, and we still don't know what it is—but readers FEEL like they know, which is the genius of the word; it's been borrowed by countless fantasy authors trying to capture that same magic!

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