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

Explanation

A mermaid is mythical sea creature that has the head and upper body of a woman and a tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in folklore from around the world, from the ancient Greek sirens who were said to lure sailors to a watery death, to the Mami Wata water spirits from African mythology. The Disney version of mermaids comes from the Hans Christian Andersen story "The Little Mermaid," about a mermaid who trades her life in the sea for love with a human. Mermaid means "maid of the sea," from mere, "sea" in Middle English.

Example Sentences

Cenci owns a company that sells mermaid clip-on hair extensions and flew in from New Jersey.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Of course, some of what he exhibited for his patrons had nothing to do with the real world—like his infamous Fiji mermaid, purportedly half monkey, half fish.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 25, 2026

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 • Aug. 29, 2025

A graceful mermaid swimming around in an industrial-strength water treatment plant in Lithuanian artist Emilija Škarnulytė’s film “Riparia” becomes a perilous siren, luring the unsuspecting to the rocks.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 15, 2024

“I know you’re joking, but I’ve been thinking about this. What if I become the world’s first ‘man-made mermaid’?

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell

Related Words

• gnome
• goblin
• imp
• leprechaun