Maiden
Maiden (mād"'n) , noun
[Old English maiden, meiden, Anglo-Saxon maegden, dim. of Anglo-Saxon maege, from mago son, servant; akin to German magd, madchen, maid, Old High German magad, Icelandic mogr son, Gothic magus boy, child, magaps virgin, and perh. to Zend. magu youth. Compare Maid a virgin.]
1.
An unmarried woman; a girl or woman who has not experienced sexual intercourse; a virgin; a maid.
She employed the residue of her life to repairing of highways, building of bridges, and endowing of maidens.
A maiden of our century, yet most meek.
2.
A female servant. [Obsolete]
3.
An instrument resembling the guillotine, formerly used in Scotland for beheading criminals. — Wharton
4.
A machine for washing linen.
Maiden , adjective
1.
Of or pertaining to a maiden, or to maidens; suitable to, or characteristic of, a virgin; as, maiden innocence.
Amid the maiden throng.
Have you no modesty, no maiden shame?
2.
Never having been married; not having had sexual intercourse; virgin; -- said usually of the woman, but sometimes of the man; as, a maiden aunt.
A surprising old maiden lady.
3.
Fresh; innocent; unpolluted; pure; hitherto unused.
Maiden flowers.
Full bravely hast thou fleshed
Thy maiden sword.
4.
Used of a fortress, signifying that it has never been captured, or violated. — T. Warton. Macaulay
Collocations (7)
Maiden assize (Eng. Law) , an assize which there is no criminal prosecution; an assize which is unpolluted with blood. It was usual, at such an assize, for the sheriff to present the judge with a pair of white gloves. — Smart
Maiden name , the surname of a woman before her marriage.
Maiden plum (Botany) , a West Indian tree (Comocladia integrifolia) with purplish drupes. The sap of the tree is glutinous, and gives a persistent black stain.
Maiden speech , the first speech made by a person, esp. by a new member in a public body.
Maiden tower , the tower most capable of resisting an enemy.
maiden voyage , the first regular service voyage of a ship.
Maiden , transitive verb
To act coyly like a maiden; -- with it as an indefinite object.
For had I maiden'd it, as many use.
Loath for to grant, but loather to refuse.