maiden

[ meyd-n ]

noun

1. a girl or young unmarried woman; maid.
2. Archaic. a female virgin.
3. Maiden, (in Neopaganism) the first form of the Goddess, represented as a young woman and said to symbolize youth and the first stages of life or growth. Compare crone ( def 3 ), mother ¹( def 10 ).
4. a horse that has never won a race.
5. a race open only to maiden horses.
6. an instrument resembling the guillotine, formerly used in Scotland for beheading criminals.
7. Cricket. maiden over.

adjective

1. Archaic. of, relating to, or befitting a girl or unmarried woman:

   her maiden virtues.

2. Archaic. (of a woman, especially one past middle age) unmarried:

   my maiden aunt.

3. (of a girl or woman) never having had sexual intercourse; virgin.
4. made, tried, appearing, etc., for the first time:

   a maiden flight.

5. (of a horse) never having won a race or a prize.
6. (of a prize or a race) offered for or open only to maiden horses.
7. untried, as a knight, soldier, or weapon.

maiden

/ ˈmeɪdən /

noun

1. archaic.
   1. a young unmarried girl, esp when a virgin
   2. ( as modifier )

      a maiden blush

2. horse racing
   1. a horse that has never won a race
   2. ( as modifier )

      a maiden race

3. cricket See maiden over
4. dialect.
   Also calledclothes maiden 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

Derived Forms

• ˈmaidenish, adjective
• ˈmaiden-ˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• maid·en·ish adjective
• maid·en·ship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of maiden¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English mægden, equivalent to mægd, mæg(e)th (cognate with German Magd, Gothic magaths ) + -en -en ⁵

Word History and Origins

Origin of maiden¹

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

Example Sentences

Raj Sidpara, 50, is accused of murdering his partner Tarnjeet Riaz - also known by her maiden name Chagger - at his home in Leicester on 6 May.

From BBC

Devon, 25, tells BBC Newsbeat "the massive bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Slipknot" often take the headline slot, and the change is good.

From BBC

“I’m very against big corporations taking a bunch of money, because where does it go? Iron Maiden gave us $10,000 so I thought why don’t we form our own cancer fund? We know if everybody gives a penny, it’s going to go straight to where we want it to go to, which is research and education.”

From Los Angeles Times

A cause of death has been revealed for Iron Maiden alum Paul Di’Anno, who died last month at age 66.

From Los Angeles Times

Paul Di’Anno, the vocalist who originally fronted Iron Maiden from 1978-81, died Monday, the English band confirmed in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• inaugural
• introductory