nymph
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
nymph/nɪmf/
▶noun
- 1 a mythological spirit of nature imagined as a beautiful young woman.
■ literary a beautiful young woman.
- 2 an immature form of a dragonfly or other insect that does not undergo complete metamorphosis.
– derivatives
nymphal adjective,
nymphean adjective.
nymphal adjective,
nymphean adjective.
– origin ME: from OFr. nimphe, from L. nympha, from Gk numphē ‘nymph, bride’.
'nymph' also found in these Oxford entries:
daphne
- daphnia
- dryad
- hamadryad
- hermaphrodite
- naiad
- nemertean
- nymphaeum
- nymphet
- nymphomania
- Oceanid
- oread
- sylph
- undine
- water nymph
- wood nymph
