water nymph
Americannoun
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a nymph of the water, as a naiad, a Nereid, or an Oceanid.
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any aquatic plant of the genus Najas, having narrow, opposite leaves.
noun
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any fabled nymph of the water, such as the Naiad, Nereid, or Oceanid of Greek mythology
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any of various aquatic plants, esp a water lily or a naiad
Etymology
Origin of water nymph
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The word “Nyad” is a derivation of “naiad,” the water nymph from Greek mythology.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2023
At one vaudeville engagement, he shared a bill with a water nymph, four performing seals and “The Eminent Girl Saxophonist.”
From Washington Post ● Oct. 28, 2020
The water nymph heroine of Antonin Dvorak’s best-known opera never stands a chance against the witch Jezibaba - especially as played to the hilt by the powerhouse mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 22, 2017
The extinct anthracotheres, discovered at a sand-covered site in remote Egypt, was dubbed Jaggermeryx naida — Jagger’s water nymph.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 11, 2014
He was a keeper of bees, the son of Apollo and a water nymph, Cyrene.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
