maiden

Definitions

1. 1.A female servant. [Obs.]
2. 2.An instrument resembling the guillotine, formerly used in Scotland for beheading criminals. Wharton.
3. 3.A machine for washing linen.
4. 4.Of or pertaining to a maiden, or to maidens; suitable to, or characteristic of, a virgin; as, maiden innocence. "Amid the maiden throng." Addison. Have you no modesty, no maiden shame Shak.
5. 5.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." Thackeray.
6. 6.Fresh; innocent; unpolluted; pure; hitherto unused. "Maiden flowers.' Shak. Full bravely hast thou fleshed Thy maiden sword. Shak.
7. 7.Used of a fortress, signifying that it has never been captured, or violated. T. Warton. Macaulay. 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 pink. (Bot.) See under Pink. -- Maiden plum (Bot.), 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.
8. 8.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. Bp. Hall.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "maiden" mean?
• What is another word for "maiden"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is maiden.

• What is an instrument resembling the guillotine, formerly used in Scotland for beheading criminals. Wharton called?
• What is of or pertaining to a maiden, or to maidens; suitable to, or characteristic of, a virgin; as, maiden innocence. "Amid the maiden throng." Addison. Have you no modesty, no maiden shame Shak called?
• What is 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." Thackeray called?
• What is fresh; innocent; unpolluted; pure; hitherto unused. "Maiden flowers.' Shak. Full bravely hast thou fleshed Thy maiden sword. Shak called?
• What is 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. Bp. Hall called?