mermaid
n. countablen. an imaginary sea creature with the head and body of a woman and the tail of a fish.
n. a legendary aquatic creature with the upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Often depicted in folklore and mythology as possessing supernatural powers or a beautiful singing voice.
The little girl dressed up as a mermaid for the party.
Sailors in ancient times often told stories of seeing a mermaid sitting on the rocks during long voyages.
In many coastal cultures, the mermaid is a dual symbol representing both the enchanting beauty of the ocean and the deadly dangers of the deep sea.
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”).