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mermaid |
Also found in: Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.02 sec. |
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mermaid, in folklore, sea-dwelling creature commonly represented as having the head and body of a woman and a fishtail instead of legs. Belief in mermaids, and in their counterpart, mermen, has existed since earliest times. They are often described as having great beauty and charm, which they use to lure sailors to their deaths (see Siren Siren (sī`rən), in Greek mythology, one of three sea nymphs, usually represented with the head of a woman and the body of a bird. ..... Click the link for more information. ). In some legends they assumed human shape and married mortals (see Mélusine Mélusine (mālüzēn`) or Melusina ..... Click the link for more information. ). The origin of the mermaid is thought by some to be the dugong (see sirenian sirenian (sīrē`nēən) or sea cow, name for a large aquatic mammal of the order Sirenia. ..... Click the link for more information. ). mermaid an imaginary sea creature fabled to have a woman's head and upper body and a fish's tail mermaid half-woman, half-fish; seen by sailors. [western Folklore: Misc.] See : Sea How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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Christie's narration splits to follow Danny's sojourn with merpeople and Maggie and Tina's defense of Fourth World against roving marauders as well as his own trek: a contrivance that mostly works despite its artificiality. In the same volume the lake will reveal some more of its mysterious contents: merpeople, water demons, and the ever-present ghosts. Two light and sweet novellas, Aquamarine and Indigo, explore merpeople and adolescence. |
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