1
: any of the minor divinities of nature in classical mythology represented as beautiful maidens dwelling in the mountains, forests, trees, and waters
2
: girl
Fair nymphs, and well-dressed youths around her shone …—
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope3
: any of various immature insects
especially
: a larva of an insect (such as a grasshopper, true bug, or mayfly) with incomplete (see incomplete sense 3) metamorphosis (see metamorphosis sense 2) that differs from the imago (see imago sense 1) especially in size and in its incompletely developed wings and genitalia
Examples of nymph in a Sentence
she bought the book of fairy tales for the beautiful engravings of nymphs and fairies featured between the stories
the neighborhood nymphs were gathered at the local pizza parlor
Recent Examples on the Web
Instead of looking for adult mayflies, researchers were searching for aquatic immature mayflies, known as nymphs, and used nets to scoop sand from the riverbed, the study said.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
Since then, the nymphs of those periodical cicadas have been underground feeding on tree root tap and waiting to come out, Reall said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2025
Cicada nymphs and exoskeletons will litter the ground.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2025
Near the bottom of the fountain are nymphs inside flowers and one nymph in the center is holding a string of pearls and a bracelet and a ring on her a left hand.
—Anthony Demarco, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nymph
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Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
Since then, the nymphs of those periodical cicadas have been underground feeding on tree root tap and waiting to come out, Reall said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2025
Cicada nymphs and exoskeletons will litter the ground.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2025
Near the bottom of the fountain are nymphs inside flowers and one nymph in the center is holding a string of pearls and a bracelet and a ring on her a left hand.
—Anthony Demarco, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nymph
Cite this Entry
“Nymph.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nymph. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nymph
noun1
: one of many goddesses in old legends represented as beautiful young girls living in mountains, forests, meadows, and waters
2
: any of various immature insects
especially
: an immature insect (as a dragonfly or grasshopper) that differs from the adult chiefly in the size of the body and in its incompletely developed wings
Medical Definition
nymph
noun1
: any of various hemimetabolous insects in an immature stage and especially a late larva (as of a true bug) in which rudiments of the wings and genitalia are present
broadly
: any insect larva that differs chiefly in size and degree of differentiation from the imago
2
: a mite or tick in the first eight-legged form that immediately follows the last larval molt
3
: a nymphal stage in the life cycle of an insect or acarid
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