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 actor—nominated for outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role for One Battle After Another tonight—dressed the part of a leading lady in a custom nude body-hugging Louis Vuitton mermaid dress. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2026

Then, there was Kate Middleton, who wrote the book on royal beauty, with a powerful eye aesthetic and mermaid waves. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 23 Feb. 2026

Hudson turned up the volume in a vampy red gown and Infinity stunned in a striking oxblood mermaid look from Louis Vuitton. —Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 22 Feb. 2026

The name Madison gained popularity after the mermaid in Splash named herself after Madison Avenue. —Kara Nesvig, Parents, 20 Feb. 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"