mermaid

noun

mer·​maid ˈmər-ˌmād 

: a fabled marine creature with the head and upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish

Examples of mermaid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Laguna Ocean Foundation kicks off every summer with its annual KelpFest, where visitors can take photos with mermaids, listen to live music, and participate in a large-scale beach clean-up. —Acacia Gabriel, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026

The journalist interviewing Stephen in the future has his own flirtations with his mermaid editor. —Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 11 Apr. 2026

The Waxahachie festival features full-contact jousting tournaments, a mermaid lagoon, rides, games and entertainment on 20 stages. —Travis Pinson, Dallas Morning News, 10 Apr. 2026

The winery’s door handles are seahorses, and the bathrooms, marked with mermaid and pirate signage, each feature a large mermaid mural inside, painted by Barrett. —Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mermayde, from mere sea (from Old English) + mayde maid — more at marine

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mermaid

• afraid
• allayed
• arcade
• arrayed
• assayed
• barmaid
• betrayed
• blockade
• bridesmaid
• brigade
• brocade
• buffeted

Kids Definition

mermaid

noun

mer·​maid ˈmər-ˌmād 

: an imaginary sea creature usually represented with a woman's body and a fish's tail

Etymology

Middle English mermayde "mermaid," from mere "lake, pool, sea" and mayde "maid"