noun 1. a nonhistorical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical. 2. the body of stories of this kind, especially as they relate to a particular people, group, or clan: the winning of the West in American legend. 3. an inscription, especially on a coat of arms, on a monument, under a picture, or the like. 4. a table on a map, chart, or the like, listing and explaining the symbols used. Compare key1(def 8). 5. Numismatics. inscription (def 8). 6. a collection of stories about an admirable person. 7. a person who is the center of such stories: he became a legend in his own lifetime.
