mermaid
[ mur-meyd ]
/ ˈmɜrˌmeɪd /
noun
(in folklore) a female marine creature, having the head, torso, and arms of a woman and the tail of a fish.
a highly skilled female swimmer.
Words nearby mermaid
merleau-ponty, merlin, merlo, merlon, merlot, mermaid, mermaid tavern, mermaid weed, mermaid's purse, mermaid's wineglass, merman
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Examples from the Web for mermaid
British Dictionary definitions for mermaid
mermaid
/ (ˈmɜːˌmeɪd) /
noun
an imaginary sea creature fabled to have a woman's head and upper body and a fish's tail
Word Origin for mermaid
C14: from mere lake, inlet + maid
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for mermaid
mermaid
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.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.