hamadryad

ham·a·dry·ad  (hm-drd)

n. pl. ham·a·dry·ads or ham·a·dry·a·des (--dz)

1. Greek & Roman Mythology A wood nymph who lives only as long as the tree of which she is the spirit lives.

2. See king cobra.

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[Middle English amadriad, from Latin Hamadryas, Hamadryad-, from Greek Hamadruas : hama, together with; see sem-¹ in Indo-European roots + Druas, dryad (from drs, oak; see deru- in Indo-European roots).]

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hamadryad [ˌhæməˈdraɪəd -æd]

n

1. (Myth & Legend / Classical Myth & Legend) Classical myth one of a class of nymphs, each of which inhabits a tree and dies with it

2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) another name for king cobra

[from Latin Hamādryas, from Greek Hamadruas, from hama together with + drus tree; see dryad]

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hamadryad

a dryad that is the spirit of a particular tree.

See also: Mythology

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	hamadryad - the nymph or spirit of a particular tree dryad, wood nymph - a deity or nymph of the woods
	2.	hamadryad - large cobra of southeastern Asia and the East Indies; the largest venomous snake; sometimes placed in genus Naja king cobra, Naja hannah, Ophiophagus hannah cobra - venomous Asiatic and African elapid snakes that can expand the skin of the neck into a hood genus Ophiophagus, Ophiophagus - king cobra