mermaid

Everyday

1. A mermaid is an imaginary sea creature with the head and body of a woman and the tail of a fish. tree →
2. A merman is the male version. tree →

In the lessons

In stories and myths (like «The Little Mermaid» by Hans Christian Andersen), mermaids live under the sea, sing and sometimes lure sailors. Sailors in the past may have mistaken manatees or dugongs for mermaids. Mermaids are not real.

Examples

• The mermaid flicked her shiny tail. tree →
• We read «The Little Mermaid» in class. tree →
• Sailors told stories of mermaids singing on rocks. tree →
• She wants a mermaid cake for her birthday. tree →
• A manatee was once mistaken for a mermaid. tree →
• The mermaid swam down to the coral castle. tree →
• “Oh,” cried Wendy, “to see a mermaid!” tree →

Note

Countable. «Mer» is an old word for sea. Mermaids are imaginary — there is no scientific evidence for them.