water nymph en · NOUN
Etymology
From Middle English water-nymph, equivalent to water + nymph.
Meanings
-
A female spirit presiding over fountains, wells, streams, etc.
We cannot refrain from suspecting that in the original legend these were Valkyrias and not Water-nymphs, for these last would hardly strip to go into the water, their native element.
1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 214:
- Any of various aquatic plants of the genus Najas.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| water nymphs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |