nymph

Everyday

1. In Greek and Roman myths, a nymph is a nature spirit who looks like a young woman and lives in a forest, river, sea or mountain. tree →
2. In science, a nymph is the young form of some insects, like dragonflies and grasshoppers, that look a bit like the adult but have no wings yet. tree →

In the lessons

In science, insects such as grasshoppers, dragonflies and cockroaches grow by incomplete metamorphosis: egg, nymph, adult; dragonfly nymphs live underwater. In myth stories, nymphs (like Echo) appear in Greek legends.

Examples

• A dragonfly nymph lives in the pond. tree →
• In the Greek myth, Echo was a nymph. tree →
• Grasshopper nymphs have no wings yet. tree →
• Water nymphs lived in the river. tree →
• The nymph sheds its skin as it grows. tree →
• The painting shows nymphs dancing in a forest. tree →
• The MELIADES were the nymphs who presided over fruit-trees. tree →

Note

Countable. Spelled with "ph" sounding like f and a "y": nymph. Insects like butterflies have larvae (caterpillars), not nymphs.