Creatures
/ˈkriːtʃərz/
nounA2plural
Definition
Creatures means living beings, usually animals, that can move and act by themselves. It can be used for all kinds of animals, from small insects to big mammals. Sometimes, it also means imaginary or strange living things in stories.
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⚡ See It in Action
Living animals or beings, real or imaginary
- •Forest creatures like deer and owls live quietly at night.
- •The story talks about magical creatures with special powers.
- •Small sea creatures live in the coral reef.
Sometimes used to describe people in a poetic or emotional way
- •The old man said, "We are all creatures of the earth."
- •She felt like a small creature lost in the big city.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "creatures" like "animals," but the word can include both real and imaginary living things.
- ✓Picture a forest full of different creatures: birds flying, rabbits running, and maybe a mysterious creature hiding.
- ✓It's the feeling when you see animals outside or read about strange beings in fairy tales.
- ✓Sounds like "CREA-chers" → Imagine a group of small creatures creating a lively scene in nature.
- ✓Remember stories like "The Jungle Book," where many creatures live and interact.
- ✓NOT like "plants" (which don’t move), creatures are living things that move and act.
- ✓NOT like "objects" (non-living things), creatures are alive and can feel or act.
- ✓NOT only wild animals; creatures can be pets or even imaginary beings like dragons.
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Beings: living things (Use when talking about both animals and humans or imaginary life forms)
- •Organisms: living things (Use in scientific or formal contexts)
- •Animals: real living creatures (Use when referring only to real animals, not imaginary ones)
- •Critters: informal word for small animals or creatures (Use in casual or friendly speech)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: "creature" + "s" (plural form)
- •Etymology: From Latin "creatura," meaning "something created" or "a creature"
- •Historical development: Originally meant anything created by God or nature; now mainly means living animals or beings
- •Modern usage: Used for animals, sometimes for imaginary beings in stories or to poetically describe people
- •Interesting fact: The word can sound gentle or mysterious depending on the context (e.g., "forest creatures" vs "strange creatures")
💭 Reflect & Connect
•How do you feel when you hear the word "creatures"? Does it make you think of friendly or scary beings?
•Can "creatures" include humans? Why or why not in different situations?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.The forest was full of creatures like birds, rabbits, and ___ that live quietly at night.
2.In fairy tales, creatures often have magical powers that ___ the story interesting.
3.Unlike plants, creatures can ___ and move on their own.
4.The word "creatures" can mean real animals or ___ beings from stories.
5.People sometimes say we are all creatures of the ___ to show we belong to nature.
6.Small sea creatures usually live ___ in the coral reef.
7.When the children saw the strange creature, they were both scared and ___ curious.