nicor

Learned borrowing from Old English nicor.

nicor (plural nicors)

1. (mythology, fantasy) A sea monster.
   • 1876, John Mitchell Kemble, The Saxons in England: A History of the English Commonwealth Till the Period of the Norman Conquest, volume I, London: Bernard Quaritch, page 391:

     The beautiful Nix or Nixie who allures the young fisher or hunter to seek her embraces in the wave which brings his death, the Neck who seizes upon and drowns the maidens who sport upon his banks, the river-spirit who still yearly in some parts of Germany demands tribute of human life, are all forms of the ancient Nicor[.]

   • 1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 27:

     “I also had the good luck to kill nine sea prowlers, or nicors.”

•  nicer

From Proto-Germanic *nikraz, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *neygʷ- (“to wash”). Cognate with Middle Dutch necker (Dutch nikker (“demon”)), Old High German nicchus (German Nix (“water sprite”)), Old Norse nykr (Faroese nykur, Swedish näck).

• IPA^(key): /ˈni.kor/

nicor m (nominative plural nicoras)

1. water demon, water monster
2. hippopotamus

Strong a-stem:

• Middle English: niker, nycker
  • English: nicker, nickel