maiden

[meyd-n] /ˈmeɪd n/
noun
1.
a girl or young unmarried woman; maid.
2.
a horse that has never won a race.
3.
a race open only to maiden horses.
4.
an instrument resembling the guillotine, formerly used in Scotland for beheading criminals.
5.
Cricket. maiden over.
adjective
6.
of, pertaining to, or befitting a girl or unmarried woman.
7.
(of a woman) unmarried:
my maiden aunt.
8.
made, tried, appearing, etc., for the first time:
a maiden flight.
9.
virgin.
10.
(of a horse) never having won a race or a prize.
11.
(of a prize or a race) offered for or open only to maiden horses.
12.
untried, as a knight, soldier, or weapon.
Origin
before 1000; Middle English; Old English mægden, equivalent to mægd, mæg(e)th (cognate with German Magd, Gothic magaths) + -en -en5
Related forms
maidenish, adjective
maidenship, noun
Examples from the web for maiden
  • The maiden launch into orbit of the first commercial spacecraft was successful.
  • My mothers maiden name is someones else s maiden name set.
  • We are trying to figure out the author's maiden name.
  • The world's first flying car to take off vertically will make its maiden flight in a matter of weeks.
  • She is married but uses that maiden name in her profession.
  • We're worried about this, and the story of the unsinkable ship that went down on its maiden voyage captures our anxiety.
  • They said it was unsinkable, yet ice sunk it on its maiden voyage.
  • Anytime something that big makes its maiden flight, it draws a crowd.
  • Perhaps the sea washed him upon a nearby shore and he will disguise himself as a maiden in order to join our campout.
  • Leading to a tower on each side, it might well be the path to some isolated maiden.
British Dictionary definitions for maiden

maiden

/ˈmeɪdən/
noun
1.
(archaic or literary)
  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.
(Northern English, dialect) Also called clothes 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
maidenish, adjective
maiden-like, adjective
Word Origin
Old English mægden; related to Old High German magad, Old Norse mogr young man, Old Irish mug slave
Word Origin and History for maiden
n.

Old English mægden, mæden "maiden, virgin, girl; maid, servant," diminutive of mægð, mægeð "virgin, girl; woman, wife," from Proto-Germanic *magadinom "young womanhood, sexually inexperienced female" (cf. Old Saxon magath, Old Frisian maged, Old High German magad "virgin, maid," German Magd "maid, maidservant," German Mädchen "girl, maid," from Mägdchen "little maid"), fem. variant of PIE root *maghu- "youngster of either sex, unmarried person" (cf. Old English magu "child, son, male descendant," Avestan magava- "unmarried," Old Irish maug "slave").

adj.

"virgin, unmarried," c.1300, from maiden (n.). The figurative sense of "new fresh, first" (cf. maiden voyage) is first recorded 1550s. Maiden name is from 1680s.

Slang definitions & phrases for maiden

maiden

noun

A racehorse, regardless of sex, that has never won a race; bug (1880+ Horse racing)