MAIDENLY

maidenlike, maidenly

(adjective) befitting or characteristic of a maiden; “a maidenly blush”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adjective

maidenly (comparative more maidenly, superlative most maidenly)

Of or pertaining to a maiden.

Suitable for, or befitting a maiden; gentle; modest; pure.

Antonyms

• unmaidenly

Anagrams

• lymnaeid, medianly

Source: Wiktionary


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



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Word of the Day

5 November 2024

TEMPORIZE

(verb) draw out a discussion or process in order to gain time; “The speaker temporized in order to delay the vote”


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