maiden

See also: Maiden, mäiden, and Mäiden

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English mayden, meiden, from Old English mæġden (“girl”), originally a diminutive of mæġeþ (“girl”) via diminutive suffix -en, from Proto-West Germanic *magaþ, from Proto-Germanic *magaþs. Equivalent to maid +‎ -en.

Pronunciation[edit]

IPA^(key): /ˈmeɪdən/
Audio (US) (file)
Audio (AU) (file)
Rhymes: -eɪdən

Noun[edit]

maiden (plural maidens)

(now chiefly literary) A girl or an unmarried young woman.
A female virgin.
She's unmarried and still a maiden.
(obsolete, dialectal) A man with no experience of sex, especially because of deliberate abstention.
- 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “Capitulum Quartum”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book XI (in Middle English), [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC, leaf 289, recto; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC, page 577:
  As for that ſaid ſire Bors I wille be ſhryuen with a good wylle / Soo ſyr Bors was confeſſyd / and for al wymmen ſir Bors was a vyrgyne / ſauf for one / that was the doughter of kynge Brangorys / and on her he gat a child that hyghte Elayne / and ſauf for her ſyre Bors was a clene mayden […]
  As for that, said Sir Bors, I will be shriven with a good will. So Sir Bors was confessed, and for all women Sir Bors was a virgin, save for one, that was the daughter of King Brangoris, and with her he begat a child that hight Elaine, and save for her Sir Bors was a clean maiden.
A maidservant.
A clothes maiden.
(now rare) An unmarried woman, especially an older woman.
(horse racing) A racehorse without any victory, i.e. one having a "virgin record".
(horse racing) A horse race in which all starters are maidens.
(historical) A Scottish counterpart of the guillotine.
- 1832, Robert Chambers, The History of Scotland:
  It had been customary during the whole civil war, to decapitate state criminals by the instrument called the maiden; but Montrose was condemned to a more ignominious death , by a gibbet thirty feet high
(cricket) A maiden over.
(obsolete) A machine for washing linen.
(Wicca) Alternative form of Maiden

Synonyms[edit]

(unmarried (young) female): bachelorette

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

maid

Translations[edit]

unmarried young female

Armenian: օրիորդ (hy) (ōriord)
Belarusian: па́нна f (pánna), дзяўчы́на f (dzjaŭčýna), дзе́ва f (dzjéva)
Breton: merc'h (br) f, plac'h (br) f
Bulgarian: госпо́жица (bg) f (gospóžica), дево́йка (bg) f (devójka), деви́ца (bg) f (devíca), момиче́ (bg) f (momičé), мома́ (bg) f (momá)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 少女 (zh) (shàonǚ)
Cornish: maghteth f
Czech: panna (cs) f, slečna (cs) f, děvče (cs) n
Danish: jomfru c
Dutch: juffrouw (nl) f, (poetic) maagd (nl) m or f, meisje (nl) m, jongedame (nl), vrijster (nl)
Etruscan: 𐌚𐌀𐌓𐌈𐌀𐌍𐌀 class animate (farθana), 𐌚𐌀𐌓𐌈𐌍𐌄 class animate (farθne)
Finnish: neiti (fi), neito (fi)
French: jeune fille (fr) f, jeune femme (fr) f, demoiselle (fr) f, pucelle (fr) f (informal or dated)
Galician: doncela f (dated), moza f
Georgian: ქალიშვილი (ka) (kališvili), ქალწული (kalc̣uli)
German: Jungfrau (de) f (virgin), Mädchen (de) n, Maid (de) f (dated or poetic)
Gothic: 𐌼𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌸𐍃 f (magaþs), 𐌼𐌰𐍅𐌹𐌻𐍉 f (mawilō)
Greek: κορίτσι (el) n (korítsi) (virgin), κοπέλα (el) f (kopéla)
Ancient: κόρη f (kórē)
Hebrew: עלמה‎ (he) f (almá)
Higaonon: laga
Hindi: युवती f (yuvtī), लड़की (hi) f (laṛkī)
Hungarian: leány (hu)
Ido: damzelo (io)
Irish: maighdean f ainnir f, bruinneall f, bé f (literary)
Italian: pulzella (it) f, ragazza (it) f
Japanese: 処女 (ja) (しょじょ, shojo), 処子 (ja) (しょし, shoshi) 少女 (ja) (しょうじょ, shōjo)
Korean: 처녀(處女) (ko) (cheonyeo), 처자(處子) (ko) (cheoja), 아가씨 (ko) (agassi)
Macedonian: де́војка f (dévojka), мо́минско n (móminsko)
Maori: kōhine
Navajo: chʼikę́ę́h
Norwegian:
Bokmål: jomfru (no) f
Old Church Slavonic:
Cyrillic: дѣва f (děva), дѣвица f (děvica)

Glagolitic: ⰴⱑⰲⰰ f (děva), ⰴⱑⰲⰹⱌⰰ f (děvica)
Old East Slavic: дѣва f (děva), дѣвица f (děvica), дивица f (divica)
Old English: mǣġþ f, mǣġden n, mǣġdenċild n
Old Occitan: donzella
Persian: دوشیزه‎ (fa) (dušize)
Polish: panna (pl) f, dziewczyna (pl) f
Portuguese: donzela (pt) f, senhorita (pt) f
Romanian: domnișoară (ro) f, fecioară (ro) f
Russian: де́вушка (ru) f (dévuška), деви́ца (ru) f (devíca), де́ва (ru) f (déva)
Scottish Gaelic: maighdeann (gd) f, ainnir f, (poetic) rìbhinn (gd) f, nighean (gd) f, òigh f, gruagach (gd) f
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: дѐво̄јка f, дјѐво̄јка f

Roman: dèvōjka (sh) f, djèvōjka (sh) f
Slovak: panna (sk) f, deva f, dievča (sk) f
Slovene: devica (sl) f, dekle (sl) n
Spanish: doncella (es) f (dated), señorita (es) f
Swedish: jungfru (sv) c
Taos: kwə́lena
Ukrainian: ді́ва f (díva), дівчи́на (uk) f (divčýna), па́нна f (pánna)
Vietnamese: thiếu nữ (vi)
Welsh: merch (cy) f, rhiain f, morwyn (cy) f, geneth (cy) f
Yiddish: מויד‎ f (moyd), מיידל‎ n (meydl)

female virgin

Afrikaans: maagd
Albanian: virgjëreshë (sq) f
Arabic: بِكْر‎ (ar) f (bikr), عَذْرَاء‎ f (ʕaḏrāʔ)
Armenian: կույս (kuys)
Azerbaijani: bakirə
Belarusian: няві́нніца f (njavínnica)
Bulgarian: де́вственица (bg) f (dévstvenica), деви́ца (bg) f (devíca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 處女／处女 (zh) (chǔnǚ), 處子／处子 (zh) (chǔzǐ)
Cornish: maghteth f
Czech: panna (cs) f
Dutch: maagd (nl) m or f
Estonian: neitsi (et)
Etruscan: 𐌚𐌀𐌓𐌈𐌀𐌍𐌀 class animate (farθana), 𐌚𐌀𐌓𐌈𐌍𐌄 class animate (farθne)
Finnish: neitsyt (fi), (archaic, poetic) impi (fi)
French: vierge (fr) f, pucelle (fr) f (informal)
Galician: doncela f, virxe (gl) f
Georgian: ქალწული (kalc̣uli), ქალიშვილი (ka) (kališvili), უმანკო (umanḳo), უბიწო (ubic̣o)
German: Jungfrau (de) f
Gothic: 𐌼𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌸𐍃 f (magaþs)
Greek: παρθένα (el) f (parthéna)
Ancient: παρθένος f (parthénos)
Hebrew: בְּתוּלָה‎ (he) f (betulá)
Hindi: कुँआरी (kũārī), कुंवारी (kumvārī)
Hungarian: szűz (hu)
Indonesian: perawan (id)
Irish: maighdean f
Italian: nubile (it)
Japanese: 処女 (ja) (しょじょ, shojo), 処子 (ja) (しょし, shoshi)
Korean: 처녀(處女) (ko) (cheonyeo), 처자(處子) (ko) (cheoja), 아가씨 (ko) (agassi)
Latin: virgo (la) f
Latvian: jaunava f
Lithuanian: mergelė f
Macedonian: де́вица f (dévica)
Navajo: chʼikę́ę́h
Ngazidja Comorian: mwana mwari class 1/2
Persian: باکره‎ (fa) (bâkere)
Polish: dziewica (pl) f
Portuguese: virgem (pt) m or f
Russian: де́вственница (ru) f (dévstvennica), деви́ца (ru) f (devíca) (dated in this sense), це́лка (ru) f (célka) (vulgar)
Scottish Gaelic: maighdeann (gd) f, òigh f, ainnir f
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: дѐвица f, дјѐвица f

Roman: dèvica (sh) f, djèvica (sh) f
Slovak: panna (sk) f
Slovene: devica (sl) f
Spanish: doncella (es) f
Swedish: jungfru (sv) c, oskuld (sv) c
Thai: บริสุทธิ์ (th) (bɔɔ-rí-sùt)
Turkish: bakire (tr)
Ukrainian: неза́ймана f (nezájmana), ді́ва f (díva)
Vietnamese: gái trinh, trinh nữ (vi)
Yiddish: בתולה‎ f (bsule)

rack for drying clothes — see clotheshorse

(cricket) a maiden over

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Interlingua: ^{(please verify)} senioretta
Italian: ^{(please verify)} signorina (it) f, ^{(please verify)} vergine (it) f
Romanian: ^{(please verify)} domnișoară (ro) f
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: ^{(please verify)} де́ва f, ^{(please verify)} дје́ва f, ^{(please verify)} мла̀дица f, ^{(please verify)} мо́ма f

Roman: ^{(please verify)} déva (sh) f, ^{(please verify)} djéva (sh) f, ^{(please verify)} mlàdica (sh) f, ^{(please verify)} móma (sh) f, ^{(please verify)} mladojka f
Slovak: ^{(please verify)} deva f
Spanish: ^{(please verify)} doncella (es) f
Welsh: ^{(please verify)} llancesig f, ^{(please verify)} morwyn (cy) f, ^{(please verify)} merch (cy) f, ^{(please verify)} morwynig f, ^{(please verify)} rhiain f

Adjective[edit]

maiden (not comparable)

Virgin.
- 1857–1859, W[illiam] M[akepeace] Thackeray, The Virginians. A Tale of the Last Century, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1858–1859, →OCLC:
  
  a surprising old maiden lady
- 1859, Charles Dickens, The Haunted House:
  It was just the middle of October when I moved in with my maiden sister […]
(of a female, human or animal) Without offspring.
Like or befitting a (young, unmarried) maiden.
- c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 155, column 2:
  Haue you no modeſty, no maiden ſhame, / No touch of baſhfulneſſe?
(figuratively) Being a first occurrence or event.
The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage.

After Edmund Burke's maiden speech, William Pitt the Elder said Burke had "spoken in such a manner as to stop the mouths of all Europe" and that the Commons should congratulate itself on acquiring such a member.
- 2012 May 13, Andrew Benson, “Williams's Pastor Maldonado takes landmark Spanish Grand Prix win”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:
  Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado took his maiden victory and Williams's first since 2004 in a strategic battle with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.
(cricket) Being an over in which no runs are scored.
Fresh; innocent; unpolluted; pure; hitherto unused.
- c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iv], page 72, column 2:
  Come Brother Iohn, full brauely haſt thou fleſht thy Maiden ſword.
- 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare; [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii], page 226, column 2:
  When I am dead, good Wench, / Let me be vs’d with Honor; ſtrew me ouer / With Maiden Flowers, that all the world may know / I was a chaſte Wife, to my Graue: Embalme me, / Then lay me forth (although vnqueen’d) yet like / A Queene, and Daughter to a King enterre me.
(of a fortress) Never having been captured or violated.
- 1631, J. Taylor, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
  Victorie forsook him for ever since he ransacked the maiden town of Magdenburg
- 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
  But every citizen considered his own honor as bound up with the honor of the maiden fortress.
(of a tree) Grown from seed and never pruned

Synonyms[edit]

maidenly

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

virgin — see virgin

without offspring

Dutch: kinderloos (nl)

like or befitting a (young, unmarried) maiden

Bulgarian: девически (devičeski)
Yiddish: מיידליש‎ (meydlish)

describing a first occurrence or event

Finnish: neitsyt- (fi)
French: inaugural (fr)
Portuguese: primeiro (pt), inaugural (pt)
Romanian: inaugural (ro) m
Russian: пе́рвый (ru) (pérvyj)
Swedish: jungfru- (sv)

(cricket) describing an over in which no runs are scored

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Interlingua: ^{(please verify)} prime, ^{(please verify)} inaugural

Anagrams[edit]

Damien, Eidman, Manide, Median, Medina, Midean, aidmen, demain, maenid, mained, median, medina, meidan

Finnish[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

maitten

Noun[edit]

maiden

genitive plural of maa

Anagrams[edit]

median

maiden

Contents

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Adjective[edit]

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Finnish[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Noun[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

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