maiden
maiden Lexical Profile
maiden Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Being the very first of its kind, especially regarding an initial journey, flight, speech, or public appearance.
"Thousands of spectators gathered at the harbor to watch the ocean liner depart on its maiden voyage."
Unmarried; relating to or suitable for a young unmarried woman (chiefly preserved in the phrase 'maiden name' or 'maiden aunt').
"She decided to keep her maiden name professionally after getting married."
• noun
An unmarried girl or young woman, especially a virgin (now chiefly literary or archaic).
"The medieval ballad tells the story of a fair maiden who outsmarted a greedy king."
In cricket, a maiden over; an over in which no runs are scored off the bat by the batting side.
"The fast bowler kept the pressure on the opposition by delivering three consecutive maidens."
In horse racing, a horse that has never won a race, or a race open only to such horses.
"The three-year-old colt finally broke his status as a maiden with a decisive victory on Saturday."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a noun meaning 'unmarried young woman,' 'maiden' is now largely archaic or literary; in contemporary English, it is used primarily as an attributive adjective meaning 'first' (as in 'maiden voyage' or 'maiden speech') or in fixed expressions like 'maiden name.'
• Rhymes for maiden
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English mæġden ('young woman, virgin, female servant'), a diminutive formation with the suffix -en from mæġþ ('maid, virgin'), of Proto-Germanic origin.