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 mermaid headboard was also created by Friday, who strung the fish-string lights too. — Wendy Goodman, Curbed, 19 Sep. 2026

The gown was a mermaid style, meaning the skirt flared out, creating a mermaid tail look. — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026

His colorful mermaid costume catches the eyes of Carmela’s gossipy friends, as well as negative attention from other boys. — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026

But for the 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, the star—whose series Only Murders in the Building is nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series—showed off some major mermaid-esque length alongside her glimmering golden gown. — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 14 Sep. 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"