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

Bronze mermaids, floating fish, and a large octopus sculpture by Damien Hirst look down on diners in the dining room. —Sara Liss, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Oct. 2025

As for her glam, Strogoff wore her bright blonde hair in loose mermaid waves and darkened her eyebrows to a near black for a bold contrast. —Starr Bowenbank, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025

This hotel, which appeals to budget-conscious travelers with its free aquarium and mermaid show, offers free self-parking and valet parking. —Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 2 Oct. 2025

Burnett learned how to disassociate, pretending at bath time to be a mermaid or drawing comics about a fictional happy family. —Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025

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"