nymph
|nymph|
/nɪmf/
young female (spirit) / immature insect
Etymology
'nymph' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'nymphē', where 'nymphē' meant 'young woman' or 'bride'.
'nymph' passed into Latin as 'nympha', then into Old French as 'nimphe' and Anglo-Norman, and entered Middle English as forms like 'nimphe' before becoming the modern English 'nymph'.
Initially it meant 'young woman' or 'bride', but over time it evolved to refer also to a nature spirit (a minor female deity) and, in biology, to an immature insect stage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a minor female nature deity or spirit, typically depicted as a young maiden associated with a particular location such as a river, tree, or grove.
In the poem, a nymph danced beneath the moonlight by the river.
Synonyms
Noun 2
an immature form of certain insects (such as dragonflies or grasshoppers) that undergoes incomplete metamorphosis and resembles the adult but lacks fully developed wings and reproductive organs.
The dragonfly nymph clung to the reed before emerging as an adult.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/12 19:48