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[ Contr. fr. ne were. ] Were not. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. E. Nereids L. Nereides [ L. Nereis, -idis, Gr. Nhrei:`s Nhrhi:`s, Nhrhi:`dos, a daughter of Nereus, a nymph of the sea, fr. Nhrey`s Nereus, an ancient sea god; akin to nhro`s wet, Skr. nāra water, cf. Gr. na`ein to flow. ] 1. (Class. Myth.) A sea nymph, one of the daughters of Nereus, who were attendants upon Neptune, and were represented as riding on sea horses, sometimes with the human form entire, and sometimes with the tail of a fish. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) Any species of Nereis. The word is sometimes used for similar annelids of other families. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) Any annelid resembling Nereis, or of the family Lycoridae or allied families. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖prop. n.; pl. Nereides [ L. ] 1. (Class. Myth.) A Nereid. See Nereid. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) A genus, including numerous species, of marine chaetopod annelids, having a well-formed head, with two pairs of eyes, antennae, four pairs of tentacles, and a protrusile pharynx, armed with a pair of hooked jaws. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. (Paleon.) Fossil tracks of annelids. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖prop. n. [ NL. See Nereid, and Cyst. ] (Bot.) A genus of gigantic seaweeds. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Nereocystis Lutkeana, of the North Pacific, has a stem many fathoms long, terminating in a great vesicle, which is crowned with a tuft of long leaves. The stem is used by the Alaskans for fishing lines. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The id. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖prop. n. [ L., a sort of sea mussel, Gr. nhri`ths, nhrei`ths. ] (Zool.) A genus of marine gastropods, mostly natives of warm climates. [ 1913 Webster ]