Nymph

Part of speech: noun (n.)

1. A goddess of the mountains, forests, meadows, or waters. Where were ye, nymphs, when the remorseless deep Closed o'er the head of your loved Lycidas Milton.

2. Hence: A lovely young girl; a maiden; a damsel. Nymph, in thy orisons Be all my sins remembered. Shak.

3. The pupa of an insect; a chrysalis.

4. Any one of a subfamily (Najades) of butterflies including the purples, the fritillaries, the peacock butterfly, etc.; -- called also naiad.