NYMPH, in mythology, an appellation given to certain inferior deities, inhabiting the mountains, wood, waters, &c. said to be the daughters of Oceanus and Tethys. All the universe was represented as full of these nymphs, who are distinguished into several ranks or classes. The general division of them is into celestial and terrestrial; the former of which were called uranie, and were supposed to be intelligences that governed the heavenly bodies or spheres. The terrestrial nymphs, called epigie, presided over the several parts of the inferior world; and were divided into those of the water, and those of the earth. The nymphs of the water were the oceanitides, or nymphs of the ocean; the nerids, the nymphs of the sea; the naiads and ephydriades, the nymphs of the fountains; and the limniades, or nymphs of the lakes. The nymphs of the earth were the oreades, or nymphs of the mountains; the napæ, nymphs of the meadows; and the dryads and hamadryads, who were nymphs of the forests and groves. Besides these, we meet with nymphs who took their names from particular countries, rivers, &c. as the citharoniades, so called from mount Cithæron in Bœotia; the dodonides, from Dodona; tiberiades, from the Tiber, &c.—Goats were sometimes sacrificed to the nymphs; but their constant offerings were milk, oil, honey, and wine.