mermother

English

Etymology

From mer- +‎ mother.

Noun

mermother (plural mermothers)

1. (fantasy) A mother mermaid.
   • 1882, E. L. P, Elfie Under the Sea and Other Stories, Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co., page 21:

     "I shall never see my merfather or my mermother any more, or the mermaids, or the fish-king, or the merry dolphins, or-r-r-r " —
     "Never mind!" cried Elfie, crying too, and she put her arms around the sad little mermaid's neck.

   • 1993, Suzanne Weyn, Nefazia Visits the Palace, The Trumpet Club, →ISBN, page 43:

     Suddenly a lovely sound filled the air. Ariel turned toward it. Nefazia was sitting on the rock, singing. Her song was low and sweet, like a mermother crooning to her baby.

   • 2007, Michael Buckley, Peter Ferguson, The Problem Child:

     A mermother pushed an infant merbaby along the street in an old stroller. Soon Sabrina and the merman reached an enormous palace, nearly five stories high.

Coordinate terms

• merfather