naiad

[ ney-ad, -uhd, nahy- ]

noun

, plural nai·ads, nai·a·des [ney, -, uh, -deez, nahy, -].

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) Classical Mythology. any of a class of nymphs presiding over rivers and springs.
2. the juvenile form of the dragonfly, damselfly, or mayfly.
3. a female swimmer, especially an expert one.
4. Botany. a plant of the genus Najas, having narrow leaves and solitary flowers.
5. Entomology. an aquatic nymph.
6. a freshwater mussel.

naiad

/ ˈnaɪæd /

noun

1. Greek myth a nymph dwelling in a lake, river, spring, or fountain
2. the aquatic larva of the dragonfly, mayfly, and related insects
3. Also calledwater nymph any monocotyledonous submerged aquatic plant of the genus Naias (or Najas ), having narrow leaves and small flowers: family Naiadaceae (or Najadaceae )
4. any of certain freshwater mussels of the genus Unio See mussel

Word History and Origins

Origin of naiad¹

< Latin Nāïad- (stem of Nāïas ) < Greek Nāïás a water nymph

Word History and Origins

Origin of naiad¹

C17: via Latin from Greek nāias water nymph; related to náein to flow

Example Sentences

To my relief, the directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, working with the screenwriter Julia Cox, trace Diana’s mythic roots not just to the naiads, but to zealots like Captain Ahab.

From New York Times

The word “Nyad” is a derivation of “naiad,” the water nymph from Greek mythology.

From Los Angeles Times

Leighton set his youthful figure — a classical nymph or naiad — in a Mediterranean setting.

From Washington Post

The herbs in the air reminded her of the hills around Camp Half-Blood in the summer, when the satyrs and naiads gathered wild plants in the lazy afternoons.

From Literature

Horrors lurked in the primeval forest, not nymphs and naiads.

From Literature