maiden

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Related to maidens: iron maidens

maid·en

(mād′n)

1. Archaic

a. An unmarried girl or woman.

b. A woman or girl who is a virgin.

2. A machine resembling the guillotine, used in Scotland in the 1500s and 1600s to behead criminals.

3. Sports

a. A racehorse that has never won a race.

b. See maiden over.

adj.

1. Of, relating to, or befitting a maiden.

2. Being an unmarried girl or woman: a maiden aunt.

3. Being a racehorse that has never won a race.

4. First or earliest: a maiden voyage; a maiden speech in the Senate.

[Middle English, from Old English mægden; see maghu- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

maiden

(ˈmeɪdən)

1. archaic or literary

a. a young unmarried girl, esp when a virgin

b. (as modifier): a maiden blush.

2. (Horse Racing) horse racing

a. a horse that has never won a race

b. (as modifier): a maiden race.

3. (Cricket) cricket See maiden over

4. dialect Also called: clothes maiden Northern English a frame on which clothes are hung to dry; clothes horse

5. (modifier) of or relating to an older unmarried woman: a maiden aunt.

6. (modifier) of or involving an initial experience or attempt: a maiden voyage; maiden speech.

7. (modifier) (of a person or thing) untried; unused

8. (modifier) (of a place) never trodden, penetrated, or captured

[Old English mægden; related to Old High German magad, Old Norse mogr young man, Old Irish mug slave]

ˈmaidenish adj

ˈmaiden-ˌlike adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

maid•en

(ˈmeɪd n)

n.

1. a girl or young unmarried woman; maid.

2. a horse that has never won a race.

3. an instrument resembling the guillotine, formerly used in Scotland.

adj.

4. of, pertaining to, or befitting a maiden.

a. unmarried: a maiden aunt.

b. virgin.

6. first: a maiden flight.

7. (of a horse) never having won a race.

[before 1000; Middle English; Old English mægden=mægd (e. OHG magad), + -en -en⁵maghu-]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	maiden - an unmarried girl (especially a virgin) maid damoiselle, damosel, damozel, damsel, demoiselle - a young unmarried woman fille, girl, miss, missy, young lady, young woman - a young woman; "a young lady of 18"
	2.	maiden - (cricket) an over in which no runs are scored maiden over cricket - a game played with a ball and bat by two teams of 11 players; teams take turns trying to score runs over - (cricket) the division of play during which six balls are bowled at the batsman by one player from the other team from the same end of the pitch
Adj.	1.	maiden - serving to set in motion; "the magazine's inaugural issue"; "the initiative phase in the negotiations"; "an initiatory step toward a treaty"; "his first (or maiden) speech in Congress"; "the liner's maiden voyage" initiative, initiatory, inaugural, first opening - first or beginning; "the memorable opening bars of Beethoven's Fifth"; "the play's opening scene"

maiden

noun

1. (Literary) girl, maid, lass, damsel, miss, virgin, nymph (poetic), lassie (informal), wench stories of brave princes and beautiful maidens

adjective

1. first, initial, inaugural, introductory, initiatory The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage.

2. unmarried, pure, virgin, intact, chaste, virginal, unwed, undefiled An elderly maiden aunt had left him £1000.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

maiden

adjective

Preceding all others in time:

earliest, first, initial, original, pioneer, primary, prime, primordial.

Translations

فتاه، غادَه

děvčepanna

jomfru

Jungfrau Mädchen unverheiratete Frau

doncella

neitineito

jeune fille vierge inaugural

ung og ógift kona

fanciulla nubile signorina vergine virgineo

mergautinė pavardėpirmoji kelionė jūra

jaunava, meitene

jungfru

maiden

[ˈmeɪdn]

A. N (o.f., poet) → doncella f

B. ADJ [flight, speech] → inaugural, de inauguración

C. CPD maiden aunt N → tía f solterona
maiden lady (o.f.) N → soltera f
maiden name N → apellido m de soltera
maiden over N (Cricket) serie de seis lanzamientos en que no se anota ninguna carrera

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

maiden

[ˈmeɪd^ən]

n (= young woman) → jeune fille f

adj [voyage] → inaugural(e)maiden aunt n → tante f célibatairemaiden name n → nom m de jeune fillemaiden speech n → premier discours m (d'un député etc)maid of honour n → demoiselle f d'honneurmaid service n (in hotel, holiday accommodation) → service m de femme de ménage, service m de femme de chambre

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

maiden

n (liter) → Maid f (old, poet), → Mädchen nt

adj attr → Jungfern-; maiden flight → Jungfernflug m; maiden voyage → Jungfernfahrt f

maiden

maiden aunt

n → unverheiratete, ältere Tante

maidenhair

n → Frauenhaar nt

maidenhead

n (Anat) → Jungfernhäutchen nt; she lost her maiden (liter) → sie hat ihre Unschuld verloren

maidenhood

n → Jungfräulichkeit f, → Unschuld f; (= time) → Jungmädchenzeit f

maiden

maiden name

n → Mädchenname m

maiden over

n (Cricket) 6 Würfe ohne einen Lauf

maiden speech

n → Jungfernrede f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

maiden

[ˈmeɪdn]

1. n (old) (liter) → fanciulla, ragazza

2. adj (flight, voyage) → inaugurale

maiden

(ˈmeidən) noun

a (young) unmarried woman. the village maidens.

maiden name

a woman's surname before her marriage. Mrs Johnson's maiden name was Scott.

maiden voyage

a ship's first voyage.

References in classic literature ?

One evening went Zarathustra and his disciples through the forest; and when he sought for a well, lo, he lighted upon a green meadow peacefully surrounded with trees and bushes, where maidens were dancing together.

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A WIDOW who was fond of cleaning had two little maidens to wait on her.

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1) Thee on the two-crested rock Lurid-flaming torches see; Where Corisian maidens flock, Thee the springs of Castaly.

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Two maidens by a river strayed Down in the state of Maine.

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"I will go into the carriage," said the little robber maiden; and she would have her will, for she was very spoiled and very headstrong.

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Once a ripple came to land In the golden sunset burning-- Lapped against a maiden's hand, By the ford returning.

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As soon as he had lifted the maiden on to his horse the old woman showed him the way, and the King reached his palace, where the wedding was celebrated.

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No more than an arm's length away stood a beautiful maiden. So beautiful she was that the flowers about her feet folded their petals in despair and bent their heads in token of submission; so sweet her look that the humming birds thronged her eyes, thrusting their thirsty bills almost into them, and the wild bees were about her lips.

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Her voice faltered and her hand trembled, and it was only the cold question of Ivanhoe, ``Is it you, gentle maiden?'' which recalled her to herself, and reminded her the sensations which she felt were not and could not be mutual.

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'They are going through the Indian Savage and the Maiden,' said Mrs Crummles.

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Something more of this will be found in Corbet's "Farewell to the Fairies!" We copy a portion of Marvell's "Maiden lamenting for her Fawn," which we prefer-not only as a specimen of the elder poets, but in itself as a beautiful poem, abounding in pathos, exquisitely delicate imagination and truthfulness-to anything of its species:

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Then the huntsman spoke further and said: 'Father, will you see the maiden who brought me up so tenderly and who was afterwards to murder me, but did not do it, though her own life depended on it?' The king replied: 'Yes, I would like to see her.' The son said: 'Most gracious father, I will show her to you in the form of a beautiful flower,' and he thrust his hand into his pocket and brought forth the pink, and placed it on the royal table, and it was so beautiful that the king had never seen one to equal it.

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