rusalka

R1U1S1A1L1K5A1

noun

A female water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths underwater.

OriginRussian руса́лка →
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Meanings

nounrusalka (plural rusalkas or rusalky or rusalki)

plural rusalkas · plural rusalky · plural rusalki

  1. Slavic mythologyA female water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths underwater.

    She is now a rusalka, a water spirit; in revenge she sends their daughter, a rusalochka, to lure him into the water.

    2009 March 1, Alastair Macaulay, “What Do Aquawomen Want?”, in New York Times

Origin

  1. Russianруса́лка“mermaid, siren”
  2. Englishrusalka

From Russian руса́лка (rusálka, “mermaid, siren”). Doublet of rosalia.

More words from Russian

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic رُوسَالْكَا
  • رُوسَالْكَا (rūsālkā)female water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
Bulgarian руса́лка
  • руса́лка (rusálka)female water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
Chinese Mandarin 魯薩爾卡 /鲁萨尔卡
  • 魯薩爾卡 /鲁萨尔卡 (lǔsà'ěrkǎ)female water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
Czech rusalka
  • rusalkafemale water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
Dutch roesalka, rusalka
  • roesalkafemale water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
  • rusalkafemale water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
Finnish rusalka
  • rusalkafemale water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
French roussalka
  • roussalkafemale water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
German Rusalka, Russalka
  • Rusalkafemale water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
  • Russalkafemale water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
Greek ρουσάλκα
  • ρουσάλκα (rousálka)female water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
Italian rusalka
  • rusalkafemale water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
Japanese ルサールカ
  • ルサールカ (rusāruka)female water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
Korean 루살카
  • 루살카 (rusalka)female water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
Polish rusałka
  • rusałkafemale water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
Portuguese rusalka
  • rusalkafemale water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
Russian руса́лка
  • руса́лка (rusálka)female water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
Slovak rusalka
  • rusalkafemale water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
Spanish rusalka
  • rusalkafemale water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
Turkish rusalka
  • rusalkafemale water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths
Ukrainian руса́лка
  • руса́лка (rusálka)female water spirit that leads handsome men to their deaths

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

kursaal
Cite this entry
APA

rusalka. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rusalka

MLA

“rusalka.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rusalka. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rusalka,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rusalka.

Source: rusalka on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.