Daphnid
/ˈdæf.nɪd/noun
A water flea belonging to the genus Daphnia, or a member of the family Daphniidae.
Did you know?The genus name Daphnia refers to Daphne, the Greek nymph transformed into a laurel tree by Apollo—a mythological identity preserved in modern zoological naming.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
δάφνη (dáphnē)
“Laurel or bay tree; also the name of the nymph Daphne in Greek mythology.”
Classical Greek
Greek
Δάφνη (Dáphnē)
“Daphne, the mythological nymph associated with the laurel tree.”
Latin Antiquity
Latin
Daphne
“Daphne; also used as a botanical name for the laurel.”
1785
Scientific Latin
Daphnia
“Genus name assigned to the water fleas by German naturalist Otto Friedrich Müller, honoring Daphne.”
19th Century
Scientific English
daphnid
“A zoological term formed from Daphnia with the suffix -id, meaning a member of a taxonomic group.”
Modern English
English
daphnid
“A water flea of the genus Daphnia or family Daphniidae.”
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