Definitions
01mythological creature
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a legendary creature with the upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish.
n. a mythological aquatic creature possessing the head and torso of a woman and the caudal fin of a fish.
“In the old story, the mermaid traded her voice for a pair of legs.”
“Sailors in the nineteenth century often claimed to have spotted mermaids, though modern historians suggest these were likely misidentified manatees.”
Synonyms
02a prostitute
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic · Vulgar
n. an old, offensive word for a woman who sells sex.
n. a historical and derogatory term for a prostitute.
“The old play used the word mermaid to describe a woman of the streets.”
“In Elizabethan drama, the term mermaid was frequently employed as a euphemism for a prostitute, playing on the theme of dangerous temptation.”
Usage
This sense is entirely obsolete in modern conversation and is only encountered in Renaissance literature.
Synonyms
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/mermaid
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0