dryad
dryad — noun
- dryadsingular
- dryadsplural
1. a female nature spirit from ancient Greek mythology whose life is connected to a
a female nature spirit from ancient Greek mythology whose life is connected to a single tree, so that she is born with the tree and dies when it is cut down
In the story, a dryad named Aylin lived inside an old oak tree in the forest.
a dryad named [Name] + lived inside [tree] — shows dwelling pattern
Zola learned that a dryad dies if someone cuts down the tree she calls home.
dryad dies + cuts down [her] tree — shows life-bond
The villagers left small offerings near the ancient oak for the dryad they believed lived there.
On the classroom wall hung a painting of a dryad with green hair and bark-like skin.
There is an old legend about a dryad who guards the forest near Wei's village.
- nymph
broader category; dryads are a specific type of nymph tied to trees, while nymphs also include water, mountain, and meadow spirits
- wood nymph
a close synonym, though wood nymph can refer to any forest nymph, not specifically a tree-bound one
- hamadryad
a more specific term for a dryad whose life is fully bound to one particular tree — the tree and the spirit cannot survive apart
- forest spirit
a more general modern term that can include dryads but also refers to other non-human beings of the woods
文法句型
dryad + verb (lives / protects / dwells)
a dryad of [tree species / forest]
用法筆記
In traditional Greek mythology, a dryad's life is tied to one specific tree — when the tree dies, the dryad dies. In modern fantasy writing, the term is sometimes used more loosely to mean any forest spirit or wood nymph. All dryads are nymphs, but not all nymphs are dryads.