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# legend

«legend» in Mova's school dictionary: **an old, famous story from the past that may be partly…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a legend, legends)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A legend is an old, famous story from the past that may be partly true but cannot be proved, like the stories of King Arthur or Robin Hood. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/legend/#m1)

2) A legend is a very famous person who is admired for what they did («a football legend»). [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/legend/#m2)

3) The legend of a map or chart is the key that explains what its symbols and colours mean. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/legend/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In English lessons legends are a story genre, like myths and fables; legends are usually about humans and places, while myths are about gods. In geography and maths the legend (key) of a map or graph tells you how to read it. In everyday speech «You're a legend!» means «you're great». Phrases: «according to legend», «a living legend», «map legend».

### examples

- According to legend, Robin Hood lived in Sherwood Forest. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/legend/#x1)
- We read the legend of King Arthur and the sword in the stone. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/legend/#x2)
- Check the legend to see what the blue lines on the map mean. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/legend/#x3)
- That player is a legend at our club. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/legend/#x4)
- The legend of the Loch Ness Monster brings many tourists to Scotland. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/legend/#x5)
- Thanks for helping, you're a legend! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/legend/#x6)
- The legend of the bar chart shows red for boys and blue for girls. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/legend/#x7)
- Every town seems to have a legend about a ghost. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/legend/#x8)

### note

Countable: «a legend». Adjective «legendary» (very famous, or from legend). Trap: a legend is not the same as a myth (gods, explaining nature) or a fable (animals, with a moral), though people often mix them. In maths and geography, always read the legend or key before reading values from a chart.

### In the corpora

- [Ghost stories and playground legends are fun, but they should not turn a real neighbour into a villain.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/42-our-street-feuds-newcomers-and-stories-that-grow/13/)
- [Paintings of history often mix fact, legend and the painter's imagination.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/arts/15-famous-paintings-and-the-stories-behind-them/16/)
- [Some people think the golden takin's shining coat inspired the Greek legend of the Golden Fleece.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/378-china-s-mountains-golden-snub-nosed-monkeys-takins-red-crowned-cranes-and-giant-salamanders/12/)
- [The old stories are legends: the rat did not really win a race by riding on the ox's back.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/382-the-chinese-zodiac-the-twelve-real-animals-behind-the-signs/3/)
- [So the zodiac is a good way to learn real biology: enjoy the legend, then ask what the real animal is like.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/382-the-chinese-zodiac-the-twelve-real-animals-behind-the-signs/6/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «legend» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/legend/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.