naiad
/ˈneɪæd/ noun, proper noun
Forms naiads naiades naias naïs
- noun (Greek mythology) A female deity (nymph) associated with water, especially a spring, stream, or other fresh water.
- noun (entomology) The aquatic larva (nymph) of a dragonfly or damselfly.
- noun Any of various aquatic plants of the genus Najas.
- proper noun (astronomy) A moon of Neptune
Synonyms
Etymology
From Latin Nāïas, from Ancient Greek Νᾱϊάς (Nāïás, “naiad”), from νάω (náō, “to flow”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A water nymph; one of the lower female divinities, fabled to preside over some body of fresh water, as a lake, river, brook, or fountain.
- noun Any species of a tribe (Naiades) of freshwater bivalves, including Unio, Anodonta, and numerous allied genera; a river mussel.
Etymology [L. naias, -adis, naïs, -idis, a water nymph, Gr naïade. Cf. Naid.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “naiad”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details