1.
[syn: naiad, water nymph]
2. (Greek mythology) a nymph of lakes and springs and rivers and fountains;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
nymph \nymph\ (n[i^]mf), n. [L. nympha nymph, bride, young
woman, Gr. ny`mfh: cf. F. nymphe. Cf. Nuptial.]
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1. (Class. Myth.) A goddess of the mountains, forests,
meadows, or waters.
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Where were ye, nymphs, when the remorseless deep
Closed o'er the head of your loved Lycidas?
--Milton.
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2. Hence: A lovely young girl; a maiden; a damsel.
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Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remembered. --Shak.
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3. (Zool.) The pupa of an insect; a chrysalis.
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4. (Zool.) Any one of a subfamily (Najades) of butterflies
including the purples, the fritillaries, the peacock
butterfly, etc.; -- called also naiad.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Naiad \Na"iad\ (n[=a]"y[a^]d; 277), n. [L. naias, -adis,
na["i]s, -idis, a water nymph, Gr nai:a`s, nai:`s, fr. na`ein
to flow: cf. F. na["i]ade. Cf. Naid.]
1. (Myth.) A water nymph; one of the lower female divinities,
fabled to preside over some body of fresh water, as a
lake, river, brook, or fountain.
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2. (Zool.) Any species of a tribe (Naiades) of freshwater
bivalves, including Unio, Anodonta, and numerous
allied genera; a river mussel.
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3. (Zool) One of a group of butterflies. See Nymph.
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4. (Bot.) Any plant of the order Naiadaceae, such as
eelgrass, pondweed, etc.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
naiad
n 1: submerged aquatic plant having narrow leaves and small
flowers; of fresh or brackish water [syn: naiad, water
nymph]
2: (Greek mythology) a nymph of lakes and springs and rivers and
fountains
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
26 Moby Thesaurus words for "naiad":
Davy, Davy Jones, Neptune, Nereid, Oceanid, Oceanus, Poseidon,
Thetis, Triton, fresh-water nymph, kelpie, limniad, man fish,
mermaid, merman, nix, nixie, ocean nymph, sea nymph, sea-maid,
sea-maiden, siren, undine, water god, water spirit, water sprite