nymph
nymph — 名詞
- nymphsingular
- nymphsplural
1. A female nature spirit from the myths of Greece and Rome who lives in forests, r
寧芙
希臘羅馬神話中棲息於自然界的女性精靈
A female nature spirit from the myths of Greece and Rome who lives in forests, rivers, or mountains and is imagined as a beautiful young woman.
Stefan read about a river nymph who guided lost sailors safely to shore.
Stefan 讀到一位河川寧芙引導迷途水手安全回到岸邊的故事。
collocation: river nymph
The old temple stood beside a spring where villagers once prayed to a water nymph.
那座古老廟宇矗立在泉水旁，村民曾向一位水之寧芙祈禱。
In the painting, a tree nymph reaches out from an oak while two deer watch nearby.
畫中，一位樹寧芙從橡樹中伸出手，兩隻鹿在旁觀看。
collocation: tree nymph
According to the myth, a mountain nymph taught a young shepherd how to play the flute.
根據神話，一位山岳寧芙教導年輕牧人如何吹笛。
Kemi dressed as a forest nymph for the school play, with leaves woven through her long hair.
Kemi 在學校戲劇中扮成森林寧芙，長髮間編織著樹葉。
collocation: forest nymph
- river nymph
- water nymph
- tree nymph
- forest nymph
- mountain nymph
- sea nymph
用法筆記
In classical mythology, different kinds of nymphs were named after the places they inhabited: dryads lived in trees, naiads in fresh water, and oreads in mountains.
2. An insect in its immature stage that closely resembles the adult but lacks fully
若蟲
外形似成蟲但未完全發育的幼蟲階段
An insect in its immature stage that closely resembles the adult but lacks fully developed wings and reproductive organs.
Lucía found a dragonfly nymph clinging to a reed at the edge of the pond.
Lucía 在池塘邊的蘆葦上發現一隻蜻蜓若蟲。
collocation: dragonfly nymph
A cockroach nymph looks much like the adult but is much smaller and has no wings.
蟑螂若蟲看起來很像成蟲，但體型較小且沒有翅膀。
The biology textbook showed a mayfly nymph with tiny wing buds just starting to form.
生物課本展示了一隻蜉蝣若蟲，微小的翅芽剛開始形成。
collocation: mayfly nymph
Mert watched a damselfly nymph crawl out of the water and shed its outer skin.
Mert 看著一隻豆娘若蟲爬出水面，蛻去外皮。
Yuki learned that a grasshopper nymph moults several times before reaching its adult size.
Yuki 學到蝗蟲若蟲在長到成體大小前會蛻皮好幾次。
pattern: learn + that-clause
- dragonfly nymph
- mayfly nymph
- cockroach nymph
- grasshopper nymph
- damselfly nymph
- nymph stage
用法筆記
Distinguish from 'larva': a nymph already looks like a smaller version of the adult insect, while a larva (such as a caterpillar or maggot) looks completely different and must pass through a pupal stage before becoming an adult.
常見錯誤
3. A beautiful young woman, used especially in poetry and older literature as a ter
美女；佳人
文學作品中對年輕美麗女子的雅稱
A beautiful young woman, used especially in poetry and older literature as a term of praise.
The poet described his beloved as a gentle nymph walking barefoot through the meadow.
詩人將他的愛人描寫成一位輕柔的美女，赤足穿過草地。
literary register: nymph as poetic term for a beloved woman
In the old novel, the hero falls for a mysterious nymph he meets beside a fountain.
在那本舊小說中，主角愛上了他在噴泉旁遇見的一位神秘佳人。
Diya laughed when her grandmother called her a little nymph in her white summer dress.
Diya 笑了，因為祖母說她穿著白色夏裝像個小美女。
affectionate register: nymph as a playful compliment
The painter's model was a fair-haired nymph whose portrait hung in the duke's gallery.
畫家的模特兒是一位金髮美女，畫像掛在公爵的畫廊中。
Gabriel's love poems always speak of some distant nymph who never returns his affection.
Gabriel 的情詩總是提到某位遙遠的美女，從未回應他的愛慕。
literary register: nymph as unattainable love object
用法筆記
This sense is rare in modern everyday English. It appears mostly in older poetry and novels, often with a romantic or idealized tone.
同根字
- nymphal形容詞C2
- nymphet名詞C2
- nymph-like形容詞C1