Nereids

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Nereid \Ne"re*id\, n.; pl. E. {Nereids}, L. {Nereides}. [L.
     Nereis, -idis, Gr. Nhrei:`s Nhrhi:`s, Nhrhi:`dos, a daughter
     of Nereus, a nymph of the sea, fr. Nhrey`s Nereus, an ancient
     sea god; akin to nhro`s wet, Skr. n[=a]ra water, cf. Gr.
     na`ein to flow.]
     1. (Class. Myth.) A sea nymph, one of the daughters of


        Nereus, who were attendants upon Neptune, and were
        represented as riding on sea horses, sometimes with the
        human form entire, and sometimes with the tail of a fish.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool.) Any species of {Nereis}. The word is sometimes
        used for similar annelids of other families.
        [1913 Webster]