Nymph

noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Any female nature spirit associated with water, forests, grotto, wind, etc. Greek, Roman
  2. 2
    a larva of an insect with incomplete metamorphosis (as the dragonfly or mayfly) wordnet
  3. 3
    A young girl, especially one who is attractive, beautiful or graceful.
  4. 4
    (classical mythology) a minor nature goddess usually depicted as a beautiful maiden wordnet
  5. 5
    The larva of certain insects.
Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    a voluptuously beautiful young woman wordnet
  2. 7
    Any of various butterflies of the family Nymphalidae.
Verb
  1. 1
    To fish using a nymph larva as bait.

    "Kuster meanwhile nymphed the middle of the Snag. When I joined him, I threw my streamer between the main channel's flow and the skinnier side-channel flow, […]"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English nimphe, from Old English nymphē and Old French nimphe, both from Latin nympha (“nymph, bride”), from Ancient Greek νύμφη (númphē, “bride”). Doublet of nympha.

Etymology 2

From Middle English nimphe, from Old English nymphē and Old French nimphe, both from Latin nympha (“nymph, bride”), from Ancient Greek νύμφη (númphē, “bride”). Doublet of nympha.

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