maidenhood

[ meyd-n-hood ]

noun

1. the state or time of being a maiden or virgin.

maidenhood

/ ˈmeɪdənˌhʊd /

noun

1. the time during which a woman is a maiden or a virgin
2. the condition of being a maiden or virgin

Word History and Origins

Origin of maidenhood¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English mægdenhād. See maiden, -hood

Example Sentences

I banned the word “obey” from our vows and I rejected the white dress that pushed archaic notions of female innocence, chastity, maidenhood and modesty.

From Washington Post

Rarely, in the chronicles of Day, was the preservation of maidenhood manifested in such dramatic form.

From The New Yorker

In it, the title character, a comely 15-year-old serving girl, is pursued by her rich roué of a master, who lays siege to her maidenhood.

From New York Times

With one stroke of such a knife my life would stream away—an undoing worse than the mere loss of maidenhood.

From Literature

As idealized beings who belonged in the house, women were supposed to go from maidenhood to motherhood.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• chastity