nymph

[ nimf ]
See synonyms for nymph on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. one of a numerous class of lesser deities of mythology, conceived of as beautiful maidens inhabiting the sea, rivers, woods, trees, mountains, meadows, etc., and frequently mentioned as attending a superior deity.

  2. a beautiful or graceful young woman.

  1. a maiden.

  2. the young of an insect that undergoes incomplete metamorphosis.

Origin of nymph

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English nimphe, from Latin nympha, from Greek nýmphē “bride, nymph”

synonym study For nymph

1. See sylph.

Other words for nymph

Other words from nymph

  • nymphal, nym·phe·an [nim-fee-uhn], /ˈnɪm fi ən/, adjective
  • un·nymph·al, adjective
  • un·nym·phe·an, adjective

Words Nearby nymph

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use nymph in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nymph

nymph

/ (nɪmf) /


noun
  1. myth a spirit of nature envisaged as a beautiful maiden

  2. mainly poetic a beautiful young woman

  1. the immature form of some insects, such as the dragonfly and mayfly, and certain arthropods. Nymphs resemble the adult, apart from having underdeveloped reproductive organs and (in the case of insects) wings, and develop into the adult without a pupal stage

Origin of nymph

1
C14: via Old French from Latin, from Greek numphē nymph; related to Latin nūbere to marry

Derived forms of nymph

  • nymphal or nymphean (ˈnɪmfɪən), adjective
  • nymphlike, adjective

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

Scientific definitions for nymph

nymph

[ nĭmf ]


  1. The immature form of those insects that do not pass through a pupal stage. Nymphs usually resemble the adults, but are smaller, lack fully developed wings, and are sexually immature. Compare imago larva pupa.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.