a spirit of nature envisaged as a beautiful maiden a beautiful young woman the immature form of some insects, such as the dragonfly and mayfly, and certain arthropods. Nymphs resemble the adult, apart from having underdeveloped reproductive organs and (in the case of insects) wings, and develop into the adult without a pupal stage
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
nymph /nɪmf/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Mythologyany of various minor divinities of mythology thought of as beautiful young women living in the sea, a river, a tree, or a mountain.
- a beautiful or graceful young woman.
- Insectsthe young of an insect.
nymph
(nimf ),USA pronunciation n.
nymph′al, nym•phe•an
(nim′fē ən),USA pronunciation adj.
- Mythologyone of a numerous class of lesser deities of mythology, conceived of as beautiful maidens inhabiting the sea, rivers, woods, trees, mountains, meadows, etc., and frequently mentioned as attending a superior deity.
- a beautiful or graceful young woman.
- a maiden.
- Insectsthe young of an insect that undergoes incomplete metamorphosis.
- Greek nýmphē bride, nymph
- Latin nympha
- 1350–1400; Middle English nimphe
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged naiad, nereid, oread, dryad, hamadryad. See sylph.
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'sea nymph' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):