mermaid's glove
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The largest of the British sponges (Halichondria palmatd), so called because its branches resemble fingers.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “mermaid's glove” mean?
The largest of the British sponges (Halichondria palmatd), so called because its branches resemble fingers.
Is “mermaid's glove” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.