noun
nymph
An immature insect that develops into an adult without a pupal stage.
A grasshopper nymph looks like a small adult without wings.
Etymology
The Greek source refers to a young woman or a mythological nymph. Biology applied the youthful association to an insect's immature stage before adulthood.
More examples
- Dragonfly nymphs live underwater and hunt other small animals.
- The nymph sheds its outer covering as it grows.
- She fishes with an artificial nymph that imitates an aquatic insect.
Forms
nymph · nymphs
nymphal adjective — Relating to an insect's nymph stage.
Similar words
- larva
- Usually develops into a pupa before becoming an adult.