any of a group of maidens in folklore who by magic are transformed into swans
swan maiden in American English
noun
any of a class of folkloric maidens, in many Indo-European and Asian tales, capable of being transformed into swans, as by magic or sorcery
Word origin
[1865–70]This word is first recorded in the period 1865–70. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: black belt, dunk, maverick, racism, valence