spinster
spinster Lexical Profile
spinster Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An unmarried woman, typically one who is beyond the usual age for marriage.
"The novel's protagonist is a fiercely independent spinster who manages the family estate on her own."
A woman whose occupation is spinning wool, flax, or other fibers into thread or yarn (historical or archaic).
"In medieval textile towns, a skilled spinster could earn a modest living supplying yarn to local weavers."
Word Nuance & Usage
In contemporary English, 'spinster' carries dated and often derogatory connotations when referring to an unmarried woman, unlike its male counterpart 'bachelor'; neutral terms such as 'single woman' or 'unmarried woman' are strongly preferred in modern contexts.
• Rhymes for spinster
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'spynnestere', formed from the verb 'spin' and the feminine agent suffix '-ster', originally denoting a woman who spun thread for a living—an occupation traditionally undertaken by unmarried women, which gradually shifted the word's meaning to an unmarried woman by the 17th century.