MAIDENLIER
MAIDENLY
Maid"en*ly, a.
Definition: Like a maid; suiting a maid; maiden-like; gentle, modest,
reserved.
Must you be blushing . . . What a maidenly man-at-arms are you become
! Shak.
Maid"en*ly, adv.
Definition: In a maidenlike manner. "Maidenly demure." Skelton.
MAIDEN
Maid"en, n. Etym: [OE. maiden, meiden, AS. mægden, dim. of AS. mæg,
fr. mago son, servant; akin to G. magd, mädchen, maid, OHG. magad,
Icel. mögr son, Goth. magus boy, child, magaps virgin, and perh. to
Zend. magu youth. Cf. Maid a virgin.]
1. An unmarried woman; a girl or woman who has not experienced sexual
intercourse; a virgin; a maid.
She employed the residue of her life to repairing of highways,
building of bridges, and endowing of maidens. Carew.
A maiden of our century, yet most meek. Tennyson.
2. A female servant. [Obs.]
3. An instrument resembling the guillotine, formerly used in Scotland
for beheading criminals. Wharton.
4. A machine for washing linen.
Maid"en, a.
1. Of or pertaining to a maiden, or to maidens; suitable to, or
characteristic of, a virgin; as, maiden innocence. "Amid the maiden
throng." Addison.
Have you no modesty, no maiden shame Shak.
2. Never having been married; not having had sexual intercourse;
virgin; -- said usually of the woman, but sometimes of the man; as, a
maiden aunt. "A surprising old maiden lady." Thackeray.
3. Fresh; innocent; unpolluted; pure; hitherto unused. "Maiden
flowers.' Shak.
Full bravely hast thou fleshed Thy maiden sword. Shak.
4. Used of a fortress, signifying that it has never been captured, or
violated. T. Warton. Macaulay. Maiden assize (Eng. Law), an assize
which there is no criminal prosecution; an assize which is unpolluted
with blood. It was usual, at such an assize, for the sheriff to
present the judge with a pair of white gloves. Smart.
– Maiden name, the surname of a woman before her marriage.
– Maiden pink. (Bot.) See under Pink.
– Maiden plum (Bot.), a West Indian tree (Comocladia integrifolia)
with purplish drupes. The sap of the tree is glutinous, and gives a
persistent black stain.
– Maiden speech, the first speech made by a person, esp. by a new
member in a public body.
– Maiden tower, the tower most capable of resisting an enemy.
Maid"en, v. t.
Definition: To act coyly like a maiden; -- with it as an indefinite object.
For had I maiden'd it, as many use. Loath for to grant, but loather
to refuse. Bp. Hall.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition