Maiden vs. Spinster — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Maiden and Spinster
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Maiden
An unmarried girl or woman.
Spinster
Spinster is a term referring to an unmarried woman who is older than what is perceived as the prime age range during which women usually marry. It can also indicate that a woman is considered unlikely to ever marry.
Maiden
A woman or girl who is a virgin.
Spinster
An unmarried woman, typically an older woman beyond the usual age for marriage.
Maiden
A machine resembling the guillotine, used in Scotland in the 1500s and 1600s to behead criminals.
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Spinster
Often Offensive A woman, especially an older one, who has not married.
Maiden
A racehorse that has never won a race.
Spinster
(Archaic) A person, especially a woman, whose occupation is spinning thread.
Maiden
See maiden over.
Spinster
A woman who has never been married, especially one past the typical marrying age according to social traditions.
Maiden
Of, relating to, or befitting a maiden.
Spinster
One who spins (puts a spin on) a political media story so as to give something a favorable or advantageous appearance; a spin doctor, spin merchant or spinmeister.
Maiden
Being an unmarried girl or woman
A maiden aunt.
Spinster
(obsolete) Someone whose occupation was spinning thread.
Maiden
Being a racehorse that has never won a race.
Spinster
(obsolete) A woman of evil life and character; so called from being forced to spin in a house of correction.
Maiden
First or earliest
A maiden voyage.
A maiden speech in the Senate.
Spinster
A spider; an insect (such as a silkworm) which spins thread.
Maiden
A girl or an unmarried young woman.
Spinster
A woman who spins, or whose occupation is to spin.
She spake to spinster to spin it out.
The spinsters and the knitters in the sun.
Maiden
A female virgin.
She's unmarried and still a maiden.
Spinster
A man who spins.
Maiden
A man with no experience of sex, especially because of deliberate abstention.
Spinster
An unmarried or single woman; - used in legal proceedings as a title, or addition to the surname.
If a gentlewoman be termed a spinster, she may abate the writ.
Maiden
A maidservant.
Spinster
A woman of evil life and character; - so called from being forced to spin in a house of correction.
Maiden
A clothes maiden.
Spinster
An elderly unmarried woman
Maiden
An unmarried woman, especially an older woman.
Spinster
Someone who spins (who twists fibers into threads)
Maiden
(horse racing) A racehorse without any victory, i.e. one having a "virgin record".
Maiden
(horse racing) A horse race in which all starters are maidens.
Maiden
(historical) A Scottish counterpart of the guillotine.
Maiden
(cricket) A maiden over.
Maiden
(obsolete) A machine for washing linen.
Maiden
(Wicca) Maiden
Maiden
Virgin.
Maiden
(of a female, human or animal) Without offspring.
Maiden
Like or befitting a (young, unmarried) maiden.
Maiden
(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.
Maiden
(cricket) Being an over in which no runs are scored.
Maiden
Fresh; innocent; unpolluted; pure; hitherto unused.
Maiden
(of a fortress) Never having been captured or violated.
Maiden
(of a tree) Grown from seed and never pruned
Maiden
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.
A maiden of our century, yet most meek.
Maiden
A female servant.
Maiden
An instrument resembling the guillotine, formerly used in Scotland for beheading criminals.
Maiden
A machine for washing linen.
Maiden
Of or pertaining to a maiden, or to maidens; suitable to, or characteristic of, a virgin; as, maiden innocence.
Have you no modesty, no maiden shame ?
Maiden
Never having been married; not having had sexual intercourse; virgin; - said usually of the woman, but sometimes of the man; as, a maiden aunt.
Maiden
Fresh; innocent; unpolluted; pure; hitherto unused.
Full bravely hast thou fleshedThy maiden sword.
Maiden
Used of a fortress, signifying that it has never been captured, or violated.
Maiden
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.
Maiden
An unmarried girl (especially a virgin)
Maiden
(cricket) an over in which no runs are scored
Maiden
Serving to set in motion;
The magazine's inaugural issue
The initiative phase in the negotiations
An initiatory step toward a treaty
His first (or maiden) speech in Congress
The liner's maiden voyage
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