mermaid
nouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈmɜːˌmeɪd//
- United States//ˈmɝ.meɪd//
A mythological creature with a woman's head and upper body, and a tail of a fish.
noun
- 1
A mythological creature with a woman's head and upper body, and a tail of a fish.
Search the depth, & ſee that variety of Sea monſters & fiſhes, Mare-maids, Sea men, Horſes, &c. which it affords.
People that are drowned, and whose bodies are not founds are believed to have been taken into the dwellings of the Mermaids.
- 2
Coloured a brilliant turquoise.
a mermaid smoothie
mermaid ice-cream
- 3
obsoleteA prostitute.
A Gentleman or an honeſt Cittizen, ſhall not Sit in your pennie-bench Theaters, vvith his Squirrell by his ſide cracking nuttes; nor ſneake into a Tauerne vvith his Mermaid; but he ſhall be Satyr'd and Epigram'd vpon, and his humour muſt run vpo'th Stage: […]
Etymology
From Middle English mermayde (“maid of the sea”), from mere (“sea, lake”) + maid, equivalent to mer- + maid. Cognate with Dutch meermeid (“mermaid”), Middle High German mermaget, mermeit (“mermaid”, > German Meermagd, Meermädchen (“mermaid”)). Compare Old English meremenn, meremennen, meremenin (“mermaid, siren”).
Forms
- plural
- mermaids
mermaid · A mythological creature with a woman's head and upper body, and a tail of a fish.
Merrick · A surname from Welsh.merrily · In a cheerful or merry way.merry · Jolly and full of high spirits; happy.