wood nymph

noun

1. (especially in legend) a nymph of the woods; dryad.
2. a brown satyr butterfly, Minois alope, having a broad yellow band and black-and-white eyespots on each front wing.
3. any of several Central and South American hummingbirds, especially of the genus Thalurania.

wood nymph

noun

1. one of a class of nymphs fabled to inhabit the woods, such as a dryad

Word History and Origins

Origin of wood nymph¹

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

Imagining oneself as a wood nymph wearing a bold lip and loud peasant dress doesn’t totally ward off unwanted attention.

From New York Times

A Greek poet would never have thought of an elegant dress and coiffure for the wood nymph.

From Literature

Outdoor learning, though, is not a wood nymph fantasy; the body of evidence suggesting the ways it benefits students, younger ones in particular, is ever growing.

From New York Times

The exhibit demonstrates her step-by-step process with “Heart of the Storm,” an iconic image of two hamadryads, classical mythology’s tree-huggers, from her recurring cast of Pan and his fellow wood nymphs.

From New York Times

When the forewing vein was damaged, the wood nymphs’ ears were less sensitive overall, particularly to low frequencies between 750 and 5000 hertz, the team reports today in Biology Letters.

From Science Magazine