nymph
noun
\ ˈnim(p)f
\
\
Definition of nymph
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
3
: any of various immature insects
especially
: a larva of an insect (such as a grasshopper, true bug, or mayfly) with incomplete (see incomplete sense 2) 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
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Other Words from nymph
nymphal
\ ˈnim(p)-fəl
\
adjective
\
adjective
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, checking out the hot guys
Recent Examples on the Web
Thanks to air hoses, these nymphs can stay submerged for a 30-minute performance. — CBS News, "A tale of mermaids," 11 Aug. 2019 Young grasshoppers, called nymphs, are shiny black with either a yellow or orange streak on the back. — Adriana Brasileiro, orlandosentinel.com, "Monster grasshoppers swarm Everglades," 19 July 2019 Stink bugs take advantage of the moist weather and lush weed cover to produce large numbers of nymphs and adults. — Calvin Finch, ExpressNews.com, "How to stop the bugs eating your tomatoes, peaches," 21 June 2019 In their final pre-adult stage, the nymphs take on a red coloration. — Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, "‘This is going to be a bad one’: A new pest is causing quarantines in Va. and Pa.," 26 June 2019 Some gardeners mention pyrethrum as an option for the nymphs, but for the adults, malathion and Sevin are the effective options. — Calvin Finch, ExpressNews.com, "How to stop the bugs eating your tomatoes, peaches," 21 June 2019 There are fairies and nymphs, unicorns, harpies, giants, ogres, trolls, Gollums and dragons. — Patti Restivo, baltimoresun.com, "'Pip-Pip The Dragon' at Howard Community College delivers magic that is out of this world," 14 June 2019 Photo: Saulius Gugis Spittlebug nymph, magnified five times, is seen in its bubble house. — Daniela Hernandez, WSJ, "From Tears to Spider Embryos: Photos Reveal World’s Microscopic Wonders," 12 Oct. 2018 There are five instars (that is, stages of development resulting in skin shedding) of the nymphs. — Margaret Lauterbach, idahostatesman, "Cool, rainy spring prompts alert for fire blight on Valley trees, plants | Idaho Statesman," 26 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nymph.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for nymph
nymph
noun
English Language Learners Definition of nymph
in stories
: a spirit in the shape of a young woman who lives in mountains, forests, meadows, and water
technical
: a young insect that has almost the same form as the adult
See the full definition for nymph in the English Language Learners Dictionary
nymph
noun
\ ˈnimf
\
\
Kids Definition of nymph
1
: one of many goddesses in old legends represented as beautiful young women living in the mountains, forests, and waters
2
: an immature insect that differs from the adult chiefly in being of smaller size and having undeveloped wings
nymph
noun
\ ˈnim(p)f
\
\
Medical Definition of nymph
1
: 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
Other Words from nymph
nymphal
\ ˈnim(p)-fəl
\
adjective
\
adjective
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