legend

leg·end

noun \ˈle-jənd\

Definition of LEGEND

1

a : a story coming down from the past; especially : one popularly regarded as historical although not verifiable

b : a body of such stories <a place in the legend of the frontier>

c : a popular myth of recent origin

d : a person or thing that inspires legends

e : the subject of a legend <its violence was legend even in its own time — William Broyles Jr.>

2

a : an inscription or title on an object (as a coin)

b : caption 2b

c : an explanatory list of the symbols on a map or chart

Examples of LEGEND

1. I don't believe the legends I've heard about this forest.
2. the legend of a lost continent
3. He has become a baseball legend.
4. The gravestone bears the legend “Rest in Peace.”

Origin of LEGEND

Middle English legende, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French legende, from Medieval Latin legenda, from Latin, feminine of legendus, gerundive of legere to gather, select, read; akin to Greek legein to gather, say, logos speech, word, reason

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to LEGEND

Synonyms

key

Related Words

scale; caption; guide, table

Other Monetary Terms

clad, numismatic, obverse, reverse, scrip, series, specie

legend

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Traditional story or group of stories told about a particular person or place. Formerly the term referred to a tale about a saint. Legends resemble folktales in content; they may include supernatural beings, elements of mythology, or explanations of natural phenomena, but they are associated with a particular locality or person. They are handed down from the past and are popularly regarded as historical though they are not entirely verifiable.