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Mermaid

//ˈmɝ.meɪd// noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A mythological creature with a woman's head and upper body, and a tail of a fish.

    "Search the depth, & ſee that variety of Sea monſters & fiſhes, Mare-maids, Sea men, Horſes, &c. which it affords."

  2. 2
    half woman and half fish; lives in the sea wordnet
  3. 3
    Coloured a brilliant turquoise.

    "a mermaid smoothie"

  4. 4
    A prostitute. obsolete

    "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: […]"

Etymology

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”).

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