mermaid

American  

[mur-meyd] / ˈmɜrˌmeɪd /

noun

1. (in folklore) a female marine creature, having the head, torso, and arms of a woman and the tail of a fish.

2. a highly skilled female swimmer.

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mermaid British  

/ ˈmɜːˌmeɪd /

noun

1. an imaginary sea creature fabled to have a woman's head and upper body and a fish's tail

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mermaid Cultural  

1. A legendary marine creature with the head and torso of a woman and the tail of a fish; the masculine, less well-known equivalent is a merman. Though linked to the classical Sirens, mermaids may be nothing more than sailors' fanciful reports of the playful antics of dugongs or manatees.

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Etymology

Origin of mermaid

First recorded in 1300–50, mermaid is from the Middle English word mermayde. See mere ², maid

Example Sentences

They take pride in the costumes, despite finding out last-minute that this show’s theme was “mermaid.”

From Los Angeles Times

But it’s also full of colorful songwriting, of Shires doing tarot with a mermaid, wandering New York listening to Billy Joel or catching her now-former partner behaving nonchalantly on a home security camera.

From Los Angeles Times

That could mean a classic A-line or ballgown for the ceremony with a shift to mermaid cut, column or mini dress for later events, she said.

From BBC

Here she sang it while standing in a glittering mermaid gown that seemed to make it impossible for her to move — some kind of metaphor for the gilded cage of a celebrity romance.

From Los Angeles Times

Knight wore a crisp red pantsuit with glittering figure-eight earrings, Mills an off-the-shoulder mermaid gown.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• gnome
• goblin
• imp
• leprechaun