folklore

[ fohk-lawr, -lohr ]
/ ˈfoʊkˌlɔr, -ˌloʊr /

noun

the traditional beliefs, legends, customs, etc., of a people; lore of a people.
the study of such lore.
a body of widely held but false or unsubstantiated beliefs.

Origin of folklore

1846; folk + lore1; coined by English scholar and antiquary William John Thoms (1803–85)

OTHER WORDS FROM folklore

folk·lor·ist, noun folk·lor·is·tic, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for folklore

British Dictionary definitions for folklore

folklore
/ (ˈfəʊkˌlɔː) /

noun

the unwritten literature of a people as expressed in folk tales, proverbs, riddles, songs, etc
the body of stories and legends attached to a particular place, group, activity, etc Hollywood folklore; rugby folklore
the anthropological discipline concerned with the study of folkloric materials

Derived forms of folklore

folkloric, adjective folklorist, noun, adjective folkloristic, adjective

Cultural definitions for folklore

folklore

Traditional stories and legends, transmitted orally (rather than in writing) from generation to generation. The stories of Paul Bunyan are examples of American folklore.