shapeshift

en-verb

shapeshift (third-person singular simple present shapeshifts, present participle shapeshifting, simple past and past participle shapeshifted)

shapeshifts (present singular third-person)
shapeshifting (participle present)
shapeshifted (participle past)
shapeshifted (past)

Probably a back-formation from shapeshifter.

Journey in exactly the same way as you did to shapeshift into your power animal except, this time, set your intention to shapeshift into a named ancestor.

2010, Mike Williams, Follow the Shaman's Call: An Ancient Path for Modern Lives, page 91:

I can't shapeshift Zane, I only look like this I always have.

But to embed oneself in an irregular and unpredictable food supply as mycelium does, one must be able to shapeshift.

2020, Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life, page 57:

(biology, fantasy, mythology, intransitive) To change one's shape or form (into another) through often magical means, normally applied only to living beings.


lycanthrope

From Ancient Greek λυκάνθρωπος (lukánthrōpos).

der

More generally, any sort of werecreature.


werewolf

From Middle English werwolf, from Old English werewulf, from Proto-West Germanic *werawulf, from Proto-West Germanic *wer (“man”) + *wulf (“wolf”). By surface analysis, were- + wolf. Cognate with Dutch weerwolf, Low German Warwulf, German Werwolf, Danish varulv, Swedish varulv, and even possibly Finnish vironsusi.
Compare also French garou, in loup-garou, French dialectal gairou, varou (“werewolf”), Medieval Latin gerulphus, garulphus (“werewolf”), all from Germanic, probably Frankish *werawulf.

Near-synonym: dogman

(mythology) A person who is transformed or can transform into a wolf or a wolflike human, often said to do so during a full moon.


kitsune

(Japanese mythology) A Japanese fox spirit, often but not exclusively female, said to have powers such as shape-shifting, and whose power is symbolized by increase in number of tails.


lycanthropy

en-noun

lycanthropy (usually uncountable, plural lycanthropies)

From Ancient Greek λυκανθρωπία (lukanthrōpía), from λυκάνθρωπος (lukánthrōpos, “wolfman”). By surface analysis, lycanthrope + -y.

uder

(mythology) The state of being a lycanthrope (or werewolf), a person who can shapeshift between the form of a human being and a wolf, often said to happen involuntarily during a full moon; werewolfdom.


were-

Back-formation from werewolf (“man-wolf”), from Old English werewulf, derived from wer (“man”) + wulf (“wolf”).

back-form

lycanthrope, used with animal names to indicate a person who changes shape into that animal.


loup-garou

en-noun

loup-garou (plural loup-garous or loups-garous)

loup-garous (plural)
loups-garous (plural)

/ˌlu.ɡəˈɹuː/

In this respect, it is always a full moon for a loup-garou. They are never more than half-sane to begin with, and they tend to become increasingly unstable over time.


Loki

Borrowed from Old Norse Loki, where further etymology is shown.

(Norse mythology) The god of mischief and trickery; growing progressively evil, he kills Balder, and is bound until Ragnarok, the end of the world.


changeling

/ˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒlɪŋ/

The noun is derived from change + -ling (suffix with the sense ‘immature; small’). Sense 6 (“idiot, simpleton”) is from the idea that foolish children had been left by magical creatures (sense 1).
The adjective is derived from the noun.

suffix

(fantasy, science fiction) An organism which can change shape to mimic others; a shape-shifter.


silver bullet

(literally, folklore) A bullet made of silver, usually with reference to the folkloric belief that such bullets are the only weapons which can kill a werewolf, vampire, or other monster.


therianthrope

/ˈθɛɹ.i.ənˌθɹoʊp/

From Ancient Greek θηρίον (thēríon, “wild beast”) + Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos, “man”).

af

Among the depictions are a black rhinoceros, the body of an antelope covered by a red line, two white animals with black stripes that may be zebras, and a therianthrope. The therianthrope (Figure 9.11) appears to have a feline body with human hind legs that may have been added after the original legs had faded somewhat (Wendt 1974:27).

2016, Carmel Schrire, Past and Present in Hunter Gatherer Studies, Routledge, →ISBN:

One appears to have a large beak while another has an appendage resembling a tail. In the language of archaeology, these are therianthropes, or characters that embody a mix of human and animal characteristics. […] The otherworldly nature of the therianthropes also raises the possibility that they are mythical beings, or manifestations of “animal spirit helpers” that are common in shamanic beliefs, according to the study.

2019 December 11, Becky Ferreira, “Mythical Beings May Be Earliest Imaginative Cave Art by Humans”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(mythology) Any mythical being which is part human, part animal.

homme-bête

any mythical being which is part human, part animal


selkie

(Celtic mythology) A seal which can magically transform into a human by shedding its skin.


Proteus

Derived from Ancient Greek Πρωτεύς (Prōteús).

der+

(Greek mythology) A sea god who could change his shape at will.


shapeshifter

/ˈʃeɪpʃɪftə/

The shapeshifter Lisa Bowalk, unable to shed the guise of a black panther, had gone onto the plain as a prisoner but was not now to be found among the dead above or the Captured down below.

Like the teller of shapeshifter stories—who conjures a shifting world of perceptions and expectations for his or her audience that is strikingly similar to the worlds created by the shapeshifter for its victims—the cultural practice of imagination...is an inherently shifty enterprise....

2003, Michael Bathgate, The Fox's Craft in Japanese Religion and Folklore: Shapeshifters, Transformations and Duplicities:

There have also been verified reports of fire-starters and ice-makers and a shapeshifter so powerful she was able to frame another Smallville citizen for a bank robbery!

Granted, Grace is talking about actual transformation, but she's a shapeshifter. For her, growing a couple inches taller is like an alternative to wearing high heels.

2015 January 30, Dan Shive, “Comic for Friday, Jan 30, 2015”, in El Goonish Shive - EGS:NP, archived from the original on 2022-08-13:

(fantasy, mythology, science fiction) A person or creature capable of changing their appearance or form at will.

canviaformes

creature capable of changing its appearance


tengu

(Japanese mythology, Shinto) A mythical Japanese creature, typically birdlike and having a long nose.


lycanthropia

Of this Fury there be divers kindes,[…]. The moſt knowne are theſe, Lycanthropia, Hydrophobia, Chorus ſancti viti. Lycanthropia, which Avicenna calles Cucubuth, others Lupinam inſaniam, or Woolfe madneſſe, when men runne howling about graues and fields in the night, and will not be perſwaded but that they are Wolues, or ſome ſuch beaſts.

1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Dotage, Phrensie, Madnesse, Hydrophobia, Lycanthropia, Chorus sancti viti, Extasis”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy, […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and Iames Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 1, section 1, member 1, subsection 4, page 13:


finfolk

(Orkney) Sorcerous shapeshifters of the sea in Orkney folklore.


loogaroo

Probably from English loup-garou or its source, French loup-garou (“werewolf”). Compare Haitian Creole lougarou.

Coordinate term: soucouyant

(mythology, Caribbean) A creature of Caribbean mythology similar to a vampire or werewolf.


boggart

OH! Maeſter—ſtrange things late I've ſeen— / And oft has boggart-haunted been ! / I'm ſure I's falt when ſtory's-tauld, / 'Till blude run aw' through veins ſo cauld !

1787, William Collins, “Song XXV: A Lancaſhire Farmer's deſcription of an Earthquake”, in The New Vocal Miscellany, or, A Fountain of Pure Harmony; Containing Sixty New Songs, page 32:

“[…]Are na ye shamed, ye weak gawly, that yc darena stir ower the threshold for fear of a boggart?”

1821, Lee Gibbons, chapter III, in The Cavalier, volume II, page 48:

Hoggart's Leap is a weird name, suggesting to the uninitiated some connection with a local tradition and a boggart or a barguest of Swaledale renown ; but I believe that Hoggart is really a family name, there being Hoggarth's Farm about two miles further up the Swale.

1897 August 20, Harwood Brierley, “The Swale and Its Waterfalts”, in Sylvanus urban, editor, The Gentleman's Magazine, volume CCLXXXIII, page 191:

[…]but when it came to a question of standing up against the boggart of Arden—a thing, in the popular imagination, composed of neither flesh, blood, nor bones—even a physical giant had qualms and misgivings, and so had Joseph Wand.

1898 December 20, George Morley, “The Sleeping Beauty. A Woodlander's Adventure”, in Sylvanus urban, editor, The Gentleman's Magazine, volume CCLXXXV, The Verger and the Woodman, page 532:

Alternative spelling of boggard (A bogey, a ghost)


werewolfish

en-adj

werewolfish (comparative more werewolfish, superlative most werewolfish)

more werewolfish (comparative)
most werewolfish (superlative)

When one of the girls goes down into the basement, she is devoured by the POV accompanied by audio portions of werewolfish sounds.

1999, Laurence A. Rickels, The vampire lectures, page 259:

Resembling or characteristic of a werewolf.


werewolfdom

Werewolf of London (1935) was one of the earliest Hollywood films about werewolfdom; as such, it is ponderous and self-important.

1986, David Hogan, Dark Romance: Sexuality in the Horror Film - Page 43:

Werewolfdom is caused by a virus, somewhat like rabies, which liberates an atavistic part of the brain that human beings have lost.

2001, Lindo J. Holland-Toll, As American As Mom, Baseball, and Apple Pie:

Stories about running with Samson in their early days of werewolfdom, most of which ended with Samson waking up naked on the front porch of a ranger station.

2011, Molly Harper, How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf:

The state of being a werewolf; werewolfism; lycanthropy.


werewolfism

lycanthropy; the transformation of a person into a wolf


shapechanger

A creature that can supernaturally change its physical form.


wolfwoman

A female werewolf or female lycanthrope.


werewolfess

I'm just an insignificant bard, prey to an evil werewolfess, who has been robbed of my belt

2004, Melody Tiamat, The Dragon's Bard 2: Land's End, page 196:


werewoman

(mythology) A woman who takes the form of an animal through a process of lycanthropy.


rougarou

From Cajun French rougarou (“werewolf”).

Like the European werewolf and loup-garou, the French Canadian rougarou also often appears in the form of a dog. Whoever neglects his Easter duties or goes unconfessed for seven years finds himself changed into a rougarou at night.

1961, Maria Leach, God Had a Dog: Folklore of the Dog:

“I told you, I'm not the rougarou. And if I say anything, the rougarou will kill me. I may be old, but I don't want to go that way.” “Selena, I'm going to hurt you worse than any rougarou.”

2016, Heather Graham, Blood on the Bayou: A Cafferty & Quinn Novella, Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated, →ISBN:

“The rougarou—him's a big, bad wolf.” “Bad?” asked Lizabeth. “What do you mean?”

2016, Jonathan Maberry, The Orphan Army, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 78:

(folklore) A werewolf or werewolf-like creature said to inhabit swamps in Louisiana (and sometimes French Canadian) folklore.


swan maiden

(mythology) A woman able to shapeshift between human and swan forms.


werewolfy

werewolfy (comparative more werewolfy, superlative most werewolfy)

more werewolfy (comparative)
most werewolfy (superlative)

(informal) Resembling or characteristic of a werewolf.


therianthropy

/ˌθɛɹiˈænθɹəpi/

(mythology) Shapeshifting between human and animal forms.

Despite occasional YouTube videos which demonstrate the activities of a 'howl' (a wolf meet), the small amount of existing research into therianthropy as a cultural phenomenon demonstrates that the communities largely exist online and rarely venture into real space.

2017, Debra Benita Shaw, Posthuman Urbanism: Mapping Bodies in Contemporary City Space, page 142:

(otherkin subculture) The characteristic of being a therianthrope; therianism.


Wolfstar

From wolf + star: Remus Lupin is a werewolf; and Sirius Black is named after the dog star Sirius (Sirius Black is an animagus who turns into a dog).

Remus’ lycanthropy almost always features in Wolfstar fics precisely because it is his lycanthropy that brands his sexuality as disallowable.

2016, Jaquelin Elliott, “Becoming The Monster: Queer Monstrosity and the Reclamation of the Werewolf in Slash Fandom”, in Revenant, number 2, page 99:

The continued enthusiasm demonstrated here alludes to the power SBP has within HP fandom: as Emmie describes it, SBP is “the cornerstone of the Wolfstar fandom” (“Shoebox Project”).

2018, Kasandra Arthur, "We Are Having All Kinds of Fun: Fluidity in Shoebox Project", thesis submitted to the University of Waterloo, page 142

Silveredglass, a reader and writer who primarily ships Drarry and Remus Lupin/Sirius Black or 'Wolfstar', found Harry Potter fandom through Tumblr.

2018, Emily E. Roach, “Polyjuice and Potterheads: The Changing Face of Fandom from LiveJournal to Tumblr”, in Fan Phenomena: Harry Potter, unnumbered page:

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Remus Lupin and Sirius Black of the Harry Potter series.


gamecraft

There are three primary means of establishing dominance: the facedown, the gamecraft and the duel.

1994, Mark Rein-Hagen, Robert Hatch, Bill Bridges, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, page 36:

In gamecraft, the Garou compete in a contest of skill or wits: a riddle contest, a chess match or the like. Gamecraft is usually considered a valid means of establishing dominance when facing mental conundrums.

Do you think these scars I wear are badges of gamecraft?

2001, Gherbod Fleming, Werewolf, page 266:

(fantasy) A type of dominance competition practiced by werewolves that focuses on cleverness, wit, and cunning.


lycan

Are you a vampire... or are you a lycan... pledge your bloodoath to your coven or pack..

2006 February 7, trigunvamp, “[PBEM News] Vampire or Lycan, which side are you on?”, in rec.games.pbm (Usenet), retrieved 2022-05-04:

Castlevania is Metroid Prime? So Gabriel and the lycans and Vampires have all grown suits and plasma weapons, can roll in to morph balls bombing eveything, and Gabriel is a woman in a space suit?

2011 January 6, skidz, “Castlevania Lords of Shadow”, in uk.games.video.misc (Usenet), retrieved 2022-05-04:

The other Lycan sprung towards her and she fought him as Drago shifted to his Lycan form and faced his adversary.

2012, Anastasia Maltezos, Lycan King, page 113:

It was soon discovered that Lycans were now attacking humans for food.

2015, Drago Lavito, Order of the Lycans, page 37:

He staggered for a moment, then gritted his teeth, turning to face the Woodland lycan, his arms raised to block the next punch, and the next. The Woodland pack gathered close, shouting encouragement to their alpha prime.


shapechange

en-verb

shapechange (third-person singular simple present shapechanges, present participle shapechanging, simple past and past participle shapechanged)

shapechanges (present singular third-person)
shapechanging (participle present)
shapechanged (participle past)
shapechanged (past)

He clapped the big man on the shoulder and quickly left. In the shadows of the bridge he shapechanged and headed for Greenvale.

2004, Keri Arthur, Generation 18, London: Piatkus, published 2009, →ISBN, page 161:

(science fiction, fantasy) To shapeshift.


shapechange

I watched Michael's face and asked, "Why was he there then? I'd have put down money that it was a demon, but it was just a shapechange. There was a mortal inside it. Who was he?"

2003, Jim Butcher, Death Masks, New York, N.Y.: Roc Books, →ISBN, page 78:

(science fiction, fantasy) An instance of shapechanging.


scisaac

(fandom slang) The ship of characters Scott McCall and Isaac Lahey from the Teen Wolf series.


animagus

Coined by J. K. Rowling for her Harry Potter series as a blend of animal + magus. Term is introduced in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999).

There is also the question of what we imagine the universes in the multiverse would look like in general. One is virtually forced to speculate, way beyond anything physics can say, that all possible universes exist, in order to guarantee one like ours coming about. Most of these universes would be dead. Of the tiny minority that had life at all, some would really have mythical creatures like unicorns, werewolves and animagi.

2007, Rodney D. Holder, “Is the universe designed?”, in Denis Alexander, editor, Has Science Killed God? The Faraday Papers on Science and Religion, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, published 2019, →ISBN, part 4 (Science, Faith and Philosophy):

When we match our crown chakras with the topmost lion and its crown, we have the odd experience of looking out from the eyes of the golden lion atop the Ray pillar, as if we have become this lion, shapeshifting like an animagus into a lion’s form, or perhaps into the Lion, as in the Lion archetype, one of the Holy Beasts, the angelic order with the four heads, one for each of the zodiacal quarters and one the figure of a lion.

2011, Richard Leviton, Hierophantic Landscapes: Lighting up Chalice Well, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, the Rondanes, and Oaxaca, Bloomington, Ind.: iUniverse, →ISBN, page 519, column 1:

Lucifer was an Animagus, not by God’s hand, but perhaps by evolution or by willing it later and he used it in a successful attempt to lead Adam and Eve astray in the Garden of Eden.

2022, Barb Cantrell, I Want My Kids to Know Who God Really Is, Conneaut Lake, Pa.: Page Publishing, →ISBN:

"This is my friend Leonard. Leo you can transform back now." / Alexa smiled at the dog. All of a sudden, the husky jumped up onto his hind legs and before their very eyes the husky turned into a man. / "Dude that was awesome! Are you a..." Shinara questioned. / "An animagus? Yes." Leonard said looking back at Alexa.

2022, C[harlie-]L[ee] Davies, The Dark Elf: The Return of the Queen, London: Europe Books, →ISBN:

(fantasy) A person who can transform into an animal.

animago

a person who can transform into an animal