ˈnā]əd, ˈnī], ]ˌad noun
( plural naiads -dz ; or naia·des ]əˌdēz)
Etymology: French or Latin; French naïade, from Latin naiad-, naias, from Greek, from nan to flow — more at nourish
1. : one of the nymphs believed by the ancient Greeks and Romans to live in and give life and perpetuity to lakes, rivers, springs, and fountains
2. : one of the distinctive aquatic young of mayflies, dragonflies, damselflies, and stone-flies that differ markedly from the corresponding adults
3.
[New Latin Naiad-, Naias ]
: a plant of the genus Naias or family Naiadaceae
4.
[New Latin Naiades ]
: a mollusk of the tribe Naiades : a freshwater mussel