nereid

1 of 2

noun (1)

ne·​re·​id ˈnir-ē-əd How to pronounce nereid (audio)
: any of a family (Nereidae) of chiefly marine polychaete worms
especially : any of a genus (Nereis) of usually large often greenish worms
nereid adjective

Nereid

2 of 2

noun (2)

Ne·​re·​id ˈnir-ē-əd How to pronounce Nereid (audio)
: any of the sea nymphs fathered by Nereus

Examples of nereid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Nana, Mom, and my sister glistened with Hawaiian Tropic — a trio of golden-tanned nereids in black swimsuits and designer sunglasses. Alison Fields, Longreads, 25 July 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nereid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

New Latin Nereidae, from Nereis, a genus, from Latin, Nereid

Noun (2)

Latin Nereid-, Nereis, from Greek Nēreid-, Nēreis, from Nēreus Nereus

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1774, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nereid was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near nereid

Cite this Entry

“Nereid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nereid. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Nereid

noun
Ne·​re·​id ˈnir-ē-əd How to pronounce Nereid (audio)
: any of the sea nymphs held in Greek mythology to be the daughters of the sea god Nereus

More from Merriam-Webster on nereid

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!