old maid
- noun
- US
:
zinnia
- The garden was filled with beautiful old maids in full bloom.
Examples
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I planted some old maids last spring, and they thrived.
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The florist recommended old maid as an easy-to-grow annual for beginners.
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Several old maid plants brightened up the garden with their vivid colors.
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She planted old maid seeds along the walkway for a splash of summer color.
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The garden was filled with colorful old maids, attracting butterflies and bees.
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She decided to plant old maids in her backyard to bring vibrant colors this summer.
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On the windowsill, the old maids bloomed beautifully, showcasing their bright petals.
Synonyms
3
5.8
A plant with bright, colorful flowers often grown in gardens
1
8.1
A plant that grows close to the ground with blue or purple flowers and is sometimes poisonous
A bright garden flower with round heads that gardeners grow for color
A garden plant with bright, long lasting flowers on single flower heads
A low bush with short leafy stems and round yellow-orange flowers native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico
A low, spreading annual plant with small bright flowers used as ground cover
A group of flowering plants from Madagascar that people grow for their colorful flowers
A small woody plant from Madagascar with large pink, white, or red flowers grown in gardens and used in medicine
A plant from Madagascar with glossy leaves and pink or red flowers
A tropical garden plant with large pink or red flowers
A small woody plant with bright pink or red flowers grown in gardens
A woody plant with large pink or red flowers often grown in gardens
A tropical evergreen plant with thick stems and bright pink or red flowers often grown in gardens
Surface Forms
Morphology
The core meaning 'an older woman who has never married' is directly compositional from 'old' (older) + 'maid' (unmarried/young woman), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the referent. The negative or old-fashioned connotations are pragmatic/cultural nuances that may require extra exposure, but they do not prevent basic transparent decoding of the expression.
Etymology
Old maid (plant) may come from flowers that keep their dry petals on the plant long after they bloom. People thought these faded blooms looked 'old', so the name was used for plants with long-lasting, bright flowers.