nereid

1 of 2

noun (1)

ne·​re·​id ˈnir-ē-əd 

: any of a family (Nereidae) of chiefly marine polychaete worms

especially : any of a genus (Nereis) of usually large often greenish worms

nereid adjective

Nereid

2 of 2

noun (2)

Ne·​re·​id ˈnir-ē-əd 

: any of the sea nymphs fathered by Nereus

Examples of nereid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Nana, Mom, and my sister glistened with Hawaiian Tropic — a trio of golden-tanned nereids in black swimsuits and designer sunglasses. —Alison Fields, Longreads, 25 July 2019

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

New Latin Nereidae, from Nereis, a genus, from Latin, Nereid

Noun (2)

Latin Nereid-, Nereis, from Greek Nēreid-, Nēreis, from Nēreus Nereus

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1774, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Nereid

noun

Ne·​re·​id ˈnir-ē-əd 

: any of the sea nymphs held in Greek mythology to be the daughters of the sea god Nereus