mermaid

noun

mer·​maid ˈmər-ˌmād 

: a fabled marine creature with the head and upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish

Examples of mermaid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With its mermaid-style skirt, full sleeves, furry collar and panache of tall black feathers on a crowning headpiece, the ensemble was a callback to the opulence of the 1920s, Cowan said, finished off with 255,000 crystals and beads. —Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026

The 1984 romantic comedy that elevated Tom Hanks to stardom had a rocky road to release, but despite its rough beginnings, casting Hannah as the mermaid love interest was a no-brainer. —Sara Belcher, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026

Visitors can still watch daily mermaid shows, which involve women donning colorful tails and performing aquatic dances and stunts. —Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 3 May 2026

In the lagoon room, see more mermaids! —Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mermayde, from mere sea (from Old English) + mayde maid — more at marine

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mermaid

• afraid
• allayed
• arcade
• arrayed
• assayed
• barmaid
• betrayed
• blockade
• bridesmaid
• brigade
• brocade
• buffeted

Kids Definition

mermaid

noun

mer·​maid ˈmər-ˌmād 

: an imaginary sea creature usually represented with a woman's body and a fish's tail

Etymology

Middle English mermayde "mermaid," from mere "lake, pool, sea" and mayde "maid"