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Definition of "naiad" []

  • Greek Mythology One of the nymphs who lived in and presided over brooks, springs, and fountains. (noun)
  • The satellite of Neptune that is closest to the planet. (noun)
  • The aquatic nymph of certain insects, such as the mayfly, damselfly, or dragonfly. (noun)
  • An aquatic plant of the genus Naias. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "naiad" in a sentence
  • "She was a child of the whole world, as the naiad is the child of the river, and the oread of the mountain."
  • "I know, I had said the naiad was the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen, but she had been wet and dirty, and, even though she looked like she’d risen out of a Pre-Raphaelite pond, unmistakably Twenty-First Century."
  • "The gold satin bow waved in the breeze at me, looking like a willowy naiad or dryad from Greek mythology."