nymph

English

Nymph of a mantis.

Alternative forms

• nymphe (rare or archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English nimphe, from French nimphe, from Latin nympha (“nymph, bride”), from Ancient Greek νύμφη (númphē, “bride”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnɪmf/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

nymph (plural nymphs or nymphæ)

Hylas and the Nymphs by John William Waterhouse, 1896

1. (Greek mythology, Roman mythology) Any minor female deity associated with water, forests, grotto, wind, etc.
2. A young girl, especially one who is attractive, beautiful or graceful.

   Synonyms: lolita, nymphet, nymphette

3. (entomology) The larva of certain insects.

   Synonyms: instar, naiad

4. (entomology) Any of various butterflies of the family Nymphalidae.

Derived terms

• nymphet
• nymphette
• nymphoid

 

Related terms

• lymph
• nympho
• nymphomania
• nymphomaniac

 

Translations

insect larva

• Armenian: հարսնյակ (hy) (harsnyak)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 幼蟲／幼虫 (zh) (yòuchóng), 幼虫 (zh) (yòuchóng)

• Czech: nymfa f
• Danish: nymfe c
• Finnish: nymfi (fi)
• Galician: ninfa f
• Greek: νύμφη (el) f (nýmfi), χρυσαλλίδα (el) f (chrysallída)
• Italian: ninfa (it) f
• Japanese: ニンフ (ninfu), 幼虫 (ja) (ようちゅう, yōchū)
• Maori: pokopoko
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: nymfe (no) m or f

  Nynorsk: nymfe f

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: nimfa (pl) f
• Portuguese: ninfa (pt) f
• Romanian: nimfă (ro) f
• Russian: личи́нка (ru) (ličínka)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ни̑мфа f

  Roman: nȋmfa (sh) f

• Spanish: ninfa (es) f
• Swedish: nymf (sv) c
• Welsh: nymff f

mythology: minor water, forest or mountain deity

• Catalan: nimfa (ca) f
• Czech: nymfa f
• Danish: nymfe c
• Erzya: ведюрьва (veďuŕva)
• Esperanto: nimfo
• Estonian: nümf
• Finnish: nymfi (fi)
• French: nymphe (fr) f
• Galician: ninfa f
• German: Nymphe (de) f
• Greek: νύμφη (el) f (nýmfi)
• Ido: nimfo (io)
• Irish: bé choille f
• Italian: ninfa (it) f
• Japanese: ニンフ (ninfu), 妖精 (ja) (ようせい, yōsei), ニュンペー (nyunpē)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: nymfe (no) m or f

  Nynorsk: nymfe f

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: nimfa (pl) f
• Portuguese: ninfa (pt) f
• Romanian: nimfă (ro) f
• Russian: ни́мфа (ru) f (nímfa)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ни̑мфа f, ру̀са̄лка f, ви́ла f

  Roman: nȋmfa (sh) f, rùsālka (sh) f, víla (sh) f

• Spanish: ninfa (es) f
• Swahili: nimfi
• Swedish: nymf (sv) c
• Thai: นางไม้ (naang máai)
• Volapük: neüf (vo)

young girl who may inspire lust

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 美女 (zh) (měinǚ)

• Finnish: lolita
• Galician: ninfa f
• German: Nymphomanin (de)
• Greek: (pejorative) νυμφίδιο (el) n (nymfídio)
• Italian: ninfa (it) f, sirenetta f
• Japanese: 美女 (ja) (びじょ, bijo), 乙女 (ja) (おとめ, otome)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: nymfe (no) m or f

  Nynorsk: nymfe f

• Portuguese: ninfa (pt) f
• Russian: краса́вица (ru) f (krasávica), красо́тка (ru) f (krasótka), ни́мфа (ru) f (nímfa)
• Scottish Gaelic: ainnir f
• Spanish: ninfa (es) f
• Swahili: mwanamwali (sw)

See also

• alseid, auloniad, crinaeae, limnades, meliae, napaeae, oceanids, oreads, pegaeae
• dryads, hamadryads, naiads, nereids
• Hesperides