Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
vestal virgin

vestal virgin

1 9.9
A Roman woman priest who kept a temple's sacred fire burning
  • noun
  • /ˈvɛstəl ˈvɜrdʒɪn/
  • Literature
translation icon : virgen vestal
  • His tribades lament that their troupe is "Nothing so fine, nothing so great as the establishment of the vestal virgins in Rome."
  • sixteen vestal virgins
  • vestal virgins in Rome

Examples

  • The keepers of the flame were the six Vestal virgins chosen from Rome's leading families.

  • In ancient Rome, Vestal virgins were priests of Vesta who were dedicated to the Roman goddess Vesta.

    Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916)

  • make way for the vestal virgin

    Life's a Beach (2010)

  • Now, uh, if you'll excuse me, I have to go book a vestal virgin.

    Reptilicant (2006)

  • You could stand there naked with a mattress strapped to your back and still look like a vestal virgin.

    200 Cigarettes (1999)

  • The vestal virgins assured the success and sanctity of ancient Rome.

    Megalopolis (2024)

  • Feel free to treat this as a pop theory popped out by an amateur (I certainly do), but our goddesses are not pristine submissive vestal virgins in white, spending their days in seclusion.

    Blog text (30)

  • In ancient Rome, the vestal virgin was revered for her role in maintaining the sacred fire in the temple of Vesta.

  • The duties of a vestal virgin included vow of celibacy and the careful upkeep of Vesta's sacred flame.

  • Chosen from Rome's noblest families, each vestal virgin played a crucial role in the spiritual life of the city.

Synonyms

priestess
vsvestal virgin
39 7.2

A woman who leads religious ceremonies

is a specific Roman temple officer who kept a sacred fire
vestal
vsvestal virgin
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A woman who does not have sex and often cares for a sacred fire

refers to an official religious role tied to temple service and flame tending

Surface Forms

vestal virgin singular
vestal virgins plural

Morphology

vestal + virgin

Both constituents contribute directly: 'vestal' refers to Vesta/Roman priestesses and 'virgin' denotes a woman who has never had sex, so their combination clearly yields a Roman priestess dedicated to Vesta who is celibate. The compound is historically literal rather than idiomatic and follows a transparent noun–noun compositional pattern that a learner who knows the parts can readily infer.

Etymology

Vestal virgin comes from ancient Rome: Vestal refers to the goddess Vesta and virgin means a woman who must stay unmarried and 'pure'. These women kept a sacred temple fire burning, so the phrase means a woman chosen for a holy, protected duty.