Dictionary

mermaid en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈmɜːˌmeɪd/ (UK)
• /ˈmɝ.meɪd/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English mermayde (“maid of the sea”), from mere (“sea, lake”) + maid, equivalent to mer- + maid. Cognate with Dutch meermeid (“mermaid”), Middle High German mermaget, mermeit (“mermaid”, > German Meermagd, Meermädchen (“mermaid”)). Compare Old English meremenn, meremennen, meremenin (“mermaid, siren”).

Meanings

1. A mythological creature with a woman's head and upper body, and a tail of a fish.
   • People that are drowned, and whose bodies are not founds are believed to have been taken into the dwellings of the Mermaids. 1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 242:
   • Search the depth, & ſee that variety of Sea monſters & fiſhes, Mare-maids, Sea men, Horſes, &c. which it affords. 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 2, section 2, member 3, page 210:
2. (as a modifier) Coloured a brilliant turquoise.
   • a mermaid smoothie
   • mermaid ice-cream
3. (obsolete) A prostitute.
   • A Gentleman or an honeſt Cittizen, ſhall not Sit in your pennie-bench Theaters, vvith his Squirrell by his ſide cracking nuttes; nor ſneake into a Tauerne vvith his Mermaid; but he ſhall be Satyr'd and Epigram'd vpon, and his humour muſt run vpo'th Stage: […] 1601 (first performance), Thomas Dekker, Satiro-mastix. Or The Untrussing of the Humorous Poet. […], London: […] [Edward Allde] for Edward White, […], published 1602, →OCLC, signature H2, recto:

Forms

Coordinates

nixie · siren · melusine

Deriveds

mermaid's purse · mermaid skirt · mermaid's hair · mermaid's tresses · mermaid syndrome · mermaid's fishing line · Fiji mermaid · mermaidy · mermaid's head · mermaidlike · mermaid tresses · mermaidweed · reverse mermaid · mermaid's toenail · mermaidcore · false mermaid · mermaid's glove · mermaiding · mermaidish

Holonyms

merfolk

Hypernyms

merperson

Relateds

mereswine · merman · merhorse · merwife · 🧜♀️ · merwolf

Synonyms

hooker · prozzie · Paphian · mutton · wapping dell · loose woman · prostitute · gay lady · trug · prostitutor · woman of ill repute · woman of ill fame · moll · floozie · public woman · brasser · prossie · tib · wapping moll · prostie · daughter of joy · painted lady · lady of the game · gill · treddle · meat puppet · nymph of the pavé · sex labourer · Haymarket ware · succubus · mermaiden · lady of leisure · quail · blowsabella · escort · callet · blowen · woman of the night · hoe · puella publica · strumpet · hackney · Covent Garden nun · merlady · mermaid · bargirl · pug · woman of easy virtue · tweak · slapper · wapping mort · gamester · commoner · wench · soiled dove · tom · musk cat · cockatrice · party girl · trull · stew · dollymop · chromo · Fulham virgin · lady of pleasure · scrubber · pucelle · comfort woman · bat · thot · lady of light virtue · lady of the night · doxy · pro skirt · geebag · harlot · put · cat · wanton · broad · croshabell · flap · mudkicker · mud-kicker · frail sister · Japayuki-san · slit · 'ho · GRO · puta · ribibe · quean · fornicatrix · mot · fille de joie · slut · slag · gillian · alley cat · mergirl · jay · pimpette · cocotte · Dutch widow · almah · tawaif · prosty · pro · nymph of darkness · pavement princess · girl of the game · street taco · drab · creature of the night · brass · sodomitess · karayuki-san · girl rented overnight · coaster · prossy · hoer · beotch · lightskirt · Bankside lady · comfort girl · laced mutton · stem siren · whore · trick turner · prozzy · vice girl · pretty horsebreaker · working girl · woman of the street · merwoman · lady of the night · hook · chippy · thotty · hustler · skivvy · business girl · perdita · abandons · nun · minx · quene · blouze · mud kicker · sex worker · mort wap-apace · hooker · nymph of the pavement · mob · bangtail · skainsmate · hireling · lady of the evening · good-time girl · priestess of Venus · calico queen · brass nail · woman of the town · tart · trollop · pross · punk · quiff · pussygirl

Translations (139)

ru сире́на (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · yue 美人魚 /美人鱼 (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · nl meermin (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · es bicha (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · tt су анасы (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · az supərisi (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · bn মৎস্যকন্যা (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ar حُورِيَّة الْمَاء (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · lo ເງືອກ (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ta கடற்கன்னி (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · kw morvoren (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · fa پری دریایی (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · hi जलपरी (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · aii ܟܲܠܬܵܐ ܕܝܵܡܵܐ (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · de Meerjungfrau (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · vi người cá (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · hi मत्स्यांगना (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · haw wahine hiʻu iʻa (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · la oceanide (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · be сірэ́на (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · nb havfrue (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · la puella marina (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ta நீர்மங்கை (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · yue 人魚 /人鱼 (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · sh сирена (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · fr sirène (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · pl rusałka (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · id putri duyung (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · el γοργόνα (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · es bestión (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · tr denizkızı (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ast sirena (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · bg русалка (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · uk морська́ па́нна (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · pl syrena (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ks جل پری (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · tk suw perisi (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · km មច្ឆានុ (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ky суу периси (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ka ალი (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · gd maighdeann-mhara (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · cs mořská víla (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · vi tiên cá (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · kk су перісі (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · fi merenneito (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ru ная́да (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · th นางเงือก (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · uk сире́на (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · pt sereia (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · eo marvirino (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · mr मत्स्यकन्या (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · sv havsfru (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · mk морска вила (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · tg парии обӣ (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · sq rusale (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · fo havfrúgv (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · uz rusalka (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · tr susuna (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · eo sireno (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · cmn 美人魚 /美人鱼 (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · lt undinė (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · nl zeemeermin (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ka სირინოზი (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · vi mỹ nhân ngư (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · cs mořská panna (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ko 인어 (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · kum суванасы (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · de Wassernixe (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ar حُورِيَّة الْبَحْر (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · bg морска́ сире́на (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · nv chʼikę́ę́h łóóʼ (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · sl morska deklica (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · hu sellő (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · gl serea (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ja 人魚 (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · he בַּת יָם (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · tr susulu (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · io sireno (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ms ikan duyung (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ca sirena (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ar خَيَلَان (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · sk morská panna (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · is hafmey (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · de Nixe (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · be ная́да (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ru руса́лка (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · th เงือก (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · km រក្សសី (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ru морска́я де́ва (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · el σειρήνα (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ug سۇ پەرىسى (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · la Nereis (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · da havfrue (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · et merineitsi (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · de Seejungfrau (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · mk морска самовила (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · gag deniz kızı (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · cy môr-forwyn (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · uk руса́лка (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · mr जलपरी (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · mt sirena (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · be руса́лка (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · fo sævarmoy (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ga maighdean mhara (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · lo ນາງເງືອກ (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · pl boginka (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · sv sjöjungfru (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · my ရေသူမ (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · nn havfrue (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · tr deniz kızı (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · it sirena (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · te మత్స్యకన్య (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ro sirenă (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · sh sirena (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · uz suv parisi (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · la Sīrēn (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · vi nàng tiên cá (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · pl panna wodna (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · yi ים־מיידל (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · az su pərisi (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ar اِبْنَة الْبَحْر (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · uk морська́ ді́ва (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ka ქალთევზა (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · la femina marina (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ga murúch (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · la semipuella marina (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ast serena (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · hu hableány (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · hy ջրահարս (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · mk сире́на (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · cmn 人魚 /人鱼 (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · vi nhân ngư (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · uk ная́да (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · sq sirenë (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · ar عَرُوسَة الْبَحْر (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · zea merreminne (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · nn havfru (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · lv nāra (mythological woman with a fish’s tail) · tl sirena (mythological woman with a fish’s tail)