Entry Word: legend

Function: noun

Meaning: 1 an explanatory list of the symbols on a map or chart <the legend indicated that a large circle represented each city, while a small circle stood for a small town>

Synonyms key

Related Words scale; caption; guide, table

2 an explanation or description accompanying a pictorial illustration <the legend in the science textbook indicated that the accompanying picture had been enlarged by 1000%> — see caption 1
3 a traditional but unfounded story that gives the reason for a current custom, belief, or fact of nature <some ancient civilizations had legends about spirits that lived in the trees and rocks> — see myth 1
4 the body of customs, beliefs, stories, and sayings associated with a people, thing, or place <that story of how the world came to be has long been part of Native American legend> — see folklore