cryptid

noun

cryp·​tid ˈkrip-təd 

plural cryptids

: an animal (such as Sasquatch or the Loch Ness Monster) that has been claimed to exist but never proven to exist

Contrary to popular belief, cryptids don't have to be supernatural, mythical or even all that strange—though many popular creatures acquire these characteristics as their legends grow.

—Hayley Williams

… fighting the Grafton Monster—a monstrous cryptid vaguely resembling a cross between Bigfoot and a seal …

—Alan Olson

Word History

Etymology

crypt- (in crypto-) + -id entry 1

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above