legend

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: leg=end

CIDE DICTIONARY

legend, n. [OE. legende, OF. legende, F. légende, LL. legenda, fr. L. legendus to be read, fr. legere to read, gather; akin to Gr. le`gein to gather, speak. Cf. Collect, Dialogue, Lesson, Logic.].

•  That which is appointed to be read; especially, a chronicle or register of the lives of saints, formerly read at matins, and in the refectories of religious houses.  [1913 Webster]
•  A story respecting saints; especially, one of a marvelous nature.  Addison.  [1913 Webster]
•  Any wonderful story coming down from the past, but not verifiable by historical record; a myth; a fable.  [1913 Webster]

  "And in this legend all that glorious deed
  Read, whilst you arm you."  [1913 Webster]
•  An inscription, motto, or title, esp. one surrounding the field in a medal or coin, or placed upon an heraldic shield or beneath an engraving or illustration.  [1913 Webster]

Golden legend. See under Golden.

legend, v. t. 

 To tell or narrate, as a legend.  Bp. Hall.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

legend, n.
1 a a traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but unauthenticated; a myth. b such stories collectively. c a popular but unfounded belief. d colloq. a subject of such beliefs (became a legend in his own lifetime).
2 a an inscription, esp. on a coin or medal. b Printing a caption. c wording on a map etc. explaining the symbols used.
3 hist. a the story of a saint's life. b a collection of lives of saints or similar stories.

Derivative

legendry n.

Etymology

ME (in sense 3) f. OF legende f. med.L legenda what is to be read, neut. pl. gerundive of L legere read

THESAURUS

legend

Clio, Lambert conformal projection, Marchen, Mercator projection, Miller projection, Mishnah, Muse of history, Spiritus Mundi, Sunna, Talmud, Western, Western story, Westerner, adventure story, adventures, aeronautical chart, allegory, ancient wisdom, annals, apologue, archetypal myth, archetypal pattern, astronomical chart, atlas, autobiography, azimuthal equidistant projection, azimuthal projection, banner, banner head, bedtime story, biographical sketch, biography, caption, cartographer, cartography, case history, celebrity, celestial chart, celestial globe, chart, chorographer, chorography, chronicle, chronicles, chronology, climatic chart, code, common law, confessions, conic projection, contour line, contour map, curriculum vitae, custom, cylindrical projection, detective story, diary, drop head, dropline, epic, epigraph, experiences, fable, fabliau, fairy lore, fairy tale, fairyism, fantasy, fiction, folk motif, folk story, folklore, folktale, fortunes, general reference map, gest, ghost story, globe, gnomonic projection, graphic scale, grid line, hachure, hagiography, hagiology, hanger, head, heading, headline, heliographic chart, heroic legend, historiography, history, horse opera, hydrographic chart, immemorial usage, immortal name, immortality, index, inscription, isoline, journal, jump head, key, latitude, layer tint, life, life and letters, life story, longitude, lore, love story, luminary, map, map maker, map projection, mapper, martyrology, memoir, memoirs, memorabilia, memorial, memorials, memory, meridian, motto, mystery, mystery story, myth, mythical lore, mythicism, mythology, mythos, narrative, necrology, nursery tale, obituary, overline, parable, parallel, personage, phenomenon, photobiography, photogrammetrist, photogrammetry, photomap, phototopography, physical map, political map, polyconic projection, profile, projection, racial memory, record, relief map, remembrance, representative fraction, resume, road map, romance, rubric, running head, running title, saga, scale, scarehead, science fiction, screamer, shocker, sinusoidal projection, slogan, somebody, space fiction, space opera, special map, spread, spreadhead, story, streamer, subhead, subheading, subtitle, superscription, suspense story, terrain map, terrestrial globe, thematic map, theory of history, thriller, title, title page, topographer, topographic chart, topography, tradition, traditionalism, traditionality, transportation map, undying fame, weather chart, weather map, whodunit, wonder, work of fiction

ROGET THESAURUS

legend

Description

N description, account, statement, report, expose, specification, particulars, state of facts, summary of facts, brief, return, catalogue raisonne, guidebook, delineation, sketch, monograph, minute account, detailed particular account, circumstantial account, graphic account, narration, recital, rehearsal, relation, historiography, chronography, historic Muse, Clio, history, biography, autobiography, necrology, obituary, narrative, history, memoir, memorials, annals, saga, tradition, legend, story, tale, historiette, personal narrative, journal, life, adventures, fortunes, experiences, confessions, anecdote, ana, trait, work of fiction, novel, romance, Minerva press, fairy tale, nursery tale, fable, parable, apologue, dime novel, penny dreadful, shilling shocker relator, raconteur, historian, biographer, fabulist, novelist, descriptive, graphic, narrative, epic, suggestive, well-drawn, historic, traditional, traditionary, legendary, anecdotic, storied, described, furor scribendi.

Record

N record, trace, vestige, relic, remains, scar, cicatrix, footstep, footmark, footprint, pug, track mark, wake, trail, scent, piste, monument, hatchment, slab, tablet, trophy, achievement, obelisk, pillar, column, monolith, memorial, memento, testimonial, medal, commemoration, record, note, minute, register, registry, roll, cartulary, diptych, Domesday book, catalogue raisonne, entry, memorandum, indorsement, inscription, copy, duplicate, docket, notch, muniment, deed, document, deposition, proces verbal, affidavit, certificate, notebook, memorandum book, memo book, pocketbook, commonplace book, portfolio, pigeonholes, excerpta, adversaria, jottings, dottings, gazette, gazetteer, newspaper, daily, magazine, almanac, almanack, calendar, ephemeris, diary, log, journal, daybook, ledger, cashbook, petty cashbook, professional journal, scientific literature, the literature, primary literature, secondary literature, article, review article, archive, scroll, state paper, return, blue book, statistics, compte rendu, Acts of, Transactions of, Proceedings of, Hansard's Debates, chronicle, annals, legend, history, biography, Congressional Records, registration, registry, enrollment, inrollment, tabulation, entry, booking, signature, recorder, journalism, recording, tape recording, videotape, compact disk, floppy disk, diskette, hard disk, Winchester disk, read-only memory, ROM, write once read mostly memory, WORM, on record, exegi monumentum aere perennium, read their history in a nation's eyes, records that defy the tooth of time.