mare
UK: meə | US: mer
n. an adult female horse
n. (archaic or poetic) a supernatural being or spirit in folklore, often associated with nightmares
The word "mare" traces back to Old English "mearh" (horse), which shares roots with Proto-Germanic *marhaz and is related to words like Old Norse "marr" and Old High German "marah." The sense of a supernatural being (e.g., "nightmare") stems from Germanic folklore, where "mare" referred to a malevolent spirit believed to suffocate sleepers. Over time, the term specialized to mean a female horse, while the supernatural sense faded into archaic or poetic usage.
The farmer groomed his prized mare every morning.
In the legend, the mare haunted the village with terrifying dreams.
She rode the mare gracefully across the open field.
The word "nightmare" originally referred to the torment caused by a "mare" spirit.
The mare and her foal grazed peacefully in the pasture.