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maiden

maiden

122 8.8
A young woman who is not married
  • noun
  • /ˈmeɪdən/
  • Archaic
: doncella
  • The Prince was trapped in his castle until one day a fair maiden came to rescue him.
  • maiden name
  • a young maiden
  • a maiden dance

What about the servant girl, the Dean's maiden, Anna?

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Examples

  • Once upon a time, three little maidens were lost in a great forest.

  • "The young woman hesitated, then took a step toward the Maiden and grasped the outstretched hand.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • I love that you kept your maiden name.

  • That young maiden, who owns this farm..

  • Poor young maiden!

  • With the barest of smiles, the Maiden extended her berry-filled hands to an astonished Larissa.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The fair maiden danced gracefully at the village festival.

  • In the story, the brave maiden stood up for her beliefs despite the challenges.

  • Many poets have celebrated the beauty of a young maiden in their verses.

Synonyms

young lady
vsmaiden
462 1.0

A girl or young woman in her teens to early twenties

is the older literary word focused on youth rather than modern polite address
maid
vsmaiden
  • Archaic
62 9.9

An unmarried girl or young woman often mentioned in old stories

is the literary old-fashioned word meaning an unmarried young woman
mademoiselle
vsmaiden
  • Formal
60 8.2

A French word for a young or unmarried woman

is the English literary old-fashioned label rather than a foreign form of address
lass
vsmaiden
  • UK
49 4.8

A girl or young woman

is the older literary choice rather than common informal usage
bachelorette
vsmaiden
  • US
47 3.8

A woman who is about to get married and often has a party before the wedding

is the general old-fashioned youthful word rather than a bridal celebration term
damsel
vsmaiden
  • Archaic
34 9.6

A young woman often shown as delicate and needing help in old stories

is the old-fashioned term without implying fragility or rescue
lassie
vsmaiden
  • UK
21 9.5

A Scottish word for a girl or young woman

is the literary old-fashioned label rather than a regional informal term
unmarried woman
vsmaiden
11 1.0

A woman who is not married

is the literary youthful word rather than a neutral civil status term
demoiselle
vsmaiden
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A young unmarried woman in old stories

is the same idea but used especially in old or literary speech
virginals
vsmaiden
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Young unmarried women, especially those who have not had sex

is the literary old-fashioned term without strong emphasis on virginity
bachelor girl
vsmaiden
  • Archaic
1 7.8

A young woman who is not married and lives alone and supports herself

is the literary youthful label rather than a term for independent living
damoiselle
vsmaiden
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A young unmarried woman who appears in old stories

is the same sense but survives as a more antique variant
damozel
vsmaiden
  • Archaic
9.9

A young unmarried woman in old stories

is the poetic literary label rather than a modern everyday word

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

A married woman who is someone's partner

Compounds

44 3.1

A woman's last name before she marries

10 4.9

A first trip by a new ship or plane after it is built

maiden aunt
  • Archaic
2 7.2

A parent's sister who never married

2 9.9

An iron box shaped like a person with spikes inside that causes great pain or death

The first time a new plane, rocket, or vehicle goes into the air

ice maiden
  • Offensive
1 8.8

A woman who seems cold and shows little feeling

1 9.1

A small low plant with pale pink flowers and dark centers

A small wildflower with tiny blue and white flowers that grows in western North America

9.8

One set of six balls in cricket when the batting team scores no runs

How Formal

demoiselle
  • Archaic
1 9.9
maiden
  • Archaic
122 8.8
young woman
604 1.0
girl
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

maiden singular
maidens plural

Morphology

maiden = maid (semi-transparent) = maid + en

The form can be segmented as maid + -en, but the old suffix is no longer productive and the meaning has shifted somewhat from the base.

Etymology

Maiden comes from an old English word for a young woman and shares the same root as maid, so it once meant a young, unmarried, or innocent woman.