dryads

Meanings

1. 1nounpluralliterary

   In old stories, female spirits who live in trees and forests.

   Grammar: This is the plural; the singular is dryad, used for one such spirit.

   Patterns

   • a dryad in a tree
   • the dryads of the forest

   In the myth, dryads guarded the ancient oak trees.

   The poet imagined dryads whispering in every branch.

2. 2nounpluralliterary

   Figures or characters representing tree spirits, as in games, art, or fantasy stories.

   Grammar: Used for the singular idea too in modern fantasy writing, where one character is called a dryad.

   Patterns

   • play a dryad
   • a dryad character

   She played a dryad in the school play, dressed in leaves.

   The game lets you choose a dryad who can heal plants.

Word forms

Common combinations

a dryad in the forest

A dryad in the forest warned the travelers to go home.

the spirit of a dryad

The story tells of the spirit of a dryad living in the willow.

an ancient dryad

An ancient dryad protected the grove for centuries.

dryads and nymphs

Greek myths are full of dryads and nymphs.

Synonyms and how they differ

nymph

A wider word for a female nature spirit in Greek myth; a dryad is specifically tied to trees.

tree spirit

A plain modern phrase for the same idea, used when the Greek term would be unclear.

Word family

dryad noun

The singular form, meaning one tree spirit.

Commonly confused: dryads or druid? dryads or nymph?

Practice

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