/ ˈkriːtʃə(r); NAmE / noun
1.
a living thing, real or imaginary, that can move around, such as an animal :
The dormouse is a shy, nocturnal creature.
respect for all living creatures
strange creatures from outer space
2.
(especially following an adjective) a person, considered in a particular way :
You pathetic creature!
She was an exotic creature with long red hair and brilliant green eyes.
He always goes to bed at ten—he's a creature of habit (= he likes to do the same things at the same time every day) .
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IDIOMS
- a / the creature of sb | sb's creature
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (in the sense something created ): via Old French from late Latin creatura , from the verb creare to produce.