Nymph
noun /nɪmf/ — A minor nature deity; a spirit of natural places
Definition
In Greek and Roman mythology, a minor female nature deity associated with a particular location or landform — springs, rivers, forests, mountains, or the sea.
Beyond the definition
The belief that each natural place has its own spirit — its own local divinity that belongs only to that spring, that grove, that stream. Places made personal.
Origin & history
From Greek 'nymphē' (bride, young woman, nymph) — also related to Latin 'nubere' (to marry). The nymphs were young divine women married to the places they inhabited.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The Greeks believed each spring had its own nymph — the divine in the local, the sacred in the particular.
She had a nymph-like quality that made her seem permanently at home in wild places.
The tradition of nymphs reflects the animist impulse to find presence in landscape.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Nymph” when the meaning fits your context: In Greek and Roman mythology, a minor female nature deity associated with a particular location or landform — springs, rivers, forests, mountains, or the sea.
Synonyms
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Nymph" mean?
Nymph is noun meaning: A minor nature deity; a spirit of natural places. In Greek and Roman mythology, a minor female nature deity associated with a particular location or landform — springs, rivers, forests, mountains, or the sea.
Where does the word "Nymph" come from?
From Greek 'nymphē' (bride, young woman, nymph) — also related to Latin 'nubere' (to marry). The nymphs were young divine women married to the places they inhabited.