naiad
[ ney-ad, -uhd, nahy- ]
/ Ë?neɪ æd, -É™d, Ë?naɪ- /
Save This Word!
noun, plural nai·ads, nai·a·des [ney-uh-deez, nahy-]. /Ë?neɪ əˌdiz, Ë?naɪ-/.
(sometimes initial capital letter)Classical Mythology. any of a class of nymphs presiding over rivers and springs.
the juvenile form of the dragonfly, damselfly, or mayfly.
a female swimmer, especially an expert one.
Botany. a plant of the genus Najas, having narrow leaves and solitary flowers.
Entomology. an aquatic nymph.
a freshwater mussel.
QUIZZES
THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?
Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.
Question 1 of 8
Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?
Origin of naiad
<Latin NÄ?ïad- (stem of NÄ?ïas) <Greek NÄ?ïás a water nymph
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for naiad
British Dictionary definitions for naiad
naiad
/ (Ë?naɪæd) /
noun plural -ads or -ades (-əˌdiË?z)
Greek myth a nymph dwelling in a lake, river, spring, or fountain
the aquatic larva of the dragonfly, mayfly, and related insects
Also called: water nymph any monocotyledonous submerged aquatic plant of the genus Naias (or Najas), having narrow leaves and small flowers: family Naiadaceae (or Najadaceae)
any of certain freshwater mussels of the genus UnioSee mussel (def. 2)
Word Origin for naiad
C17: via Latin from Greek nÄ?ias water nymph; related to náein to flow
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012