merfather

merfather

English

Etymology

From mer- +‎ father.

Noun

merfather (plural merfathers)

1. (fantasy) A father merman.
   • 1882, E. L. P, Elfie Under the Sea and Other Stories, Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co. (1882), 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.

   • 2004, Vicki Blum, The Mermaid Secret, Scholastic (2004), →ISBN, page 63:

     "Danya, you think if you believe in your merfather and Ayralon, it's like rejecting your parents. Especially your stepfather. Is that true?"

   • 2006, Roger Ebert, "'Aquamarine'", Orange County Register, 3 March 2006:

     Two eighth-graders (Emma Roberts and JoJo) befriend a mermaid (Sara Paxton) who has three days to prove to her merfather that love exists.

Coordinate terms

• mermother