Mermaid Meaning
/ˈmɜːˌmeɪd/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA mythological creature with a woman's head and upper body, and a tail of a fish.
nounColoured a brilliant turquoise.
Sentence Examples
The legend says that she was a mermaid.
The little mermaid sighed and looked sadly at her fish tail.
CEFR Practice Quiz
In the story, the ____ was half woman and half fish, living in the ocean.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The children were fascinated by the story of a ____ who lived in a beautiful palace deep beneath the blue sea.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
"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:
"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:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
In the story, the ____ was half woman and half fish, living in the ocean.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The children were fascinated by the story of a ____ who lived in a beautiful palace deep beneath the blue sea.