[mur-meyd] 
| 1. | (in folklore) a female marine creature, having the head, torso, and arms of a woman and the tail of a fish. |
| 2. | a highly skilled female swimmer. |
| mer·maid (mûr'mād') n. A legendary sea creature having the head and upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish. [Middle English : mere, sea, lake; see mere2 + maid, maid; see maid.] |
A legendary marine creature with the head and torso of a woman and the tail of a fish; the masculine, less well-known equivalent is a merman. Though linked to the classical Sirens, mermaids may be nothing more than sailors' fanciful reports of the playful antics of dugongs or manatees.
