■ noun
1》 a mythological spirit of nature imagined as a beautiful young woman.
↘ literary a beautiful young woman.
2》 an immature form of a dragonfly or other insect that does not undergo complete metamorphosis.
Derivatives
~al adjective
~ean adjective
Origin
ME: from OFr. nimphe , from L. ~a , from Gk numphē '~, bride'.