mermaiden en · NOUN
Etymology
From Middle English meremaiden (“mermaid”), from mere (“mere, sea”) + maiden (“maiden”), equivalent to mer- + maiden. Compare Old English meremennen (“mermaid, siren”). More at mere, maiden.
Meanings
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A mermaid; a maiden of the sea; a siren.
The Neck here his harp in the glass-castle plays, And Mermaidens comb out their green hair always, And bleach here their shining white clothes.
1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 156:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| mermaidens | Number=Plur | lexicographic |