mermaid
English
Etymology
From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English mermayde (“maid of the sea”), from mere (“sea, lake”) + maid, equivalent to mer- + maid. Compare Old English meremenn, meremennen, meremenin (“mermaid, siren”).
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈməː.meɪd/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈmɝ.meɪd/
Audio (US): (file)
Noun
mermaid (plural mermaids)
- A mythological creature with a woman's head and upper body, and a tail of a fish.
- (as a modifier) Coloured a brilliant turquoise.
- mermaid smoothie
- (obsolete) A prostitute.
- 1602, Thomas Dekker, Satiromastix, act 4, scene 2:
- A gentleman, or an honest citizen shall not sit in your penny-bench theaters, with his squirrel by his side cracking nuts; nor sneak into a tavern with his mermaid; but he shall be satir'd and epigramm'd upon […]
Synonyms
- (mythological creature): mergirl, merlady, mermaiden, merwoman
- (prostitute): hooker, lady of the night; see also Thesaurus:prostitute
Hypernyms
- (mythological creature):merperson
Hyponyms
Holonyms
- (mythological creature): merfolk
Coordinate terms
Derived terms
Related terms
Related terms
Translations
mythological woman with a fish's tail
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Categories:
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms prefixed with mer-
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English terms with quotations
- en:Blues
- en:Fantasy
- en:Merpeople
- en:Mythological creatures
- en:People
- en:Prostitution