maiden

1 of 2

noun

maid·​en ˈmā-dᵊn How to pronounce maiden (audio)
1
: an unmarried girl or woman : maid
2
: a former Scottish beheading device resembling the guillotine (see guillotine sense 1)
3
: a horse that has never won a race

maiden

2 of 2

adjective

1
a(1)
: not married
a maiden aunt
(2)
: virgin
b of a female animal
(1)
: never yet mated
(2)
: never having borne young
2
: of, relating to, or befitting a maiden
3
: first, earliest
a ship's maiden voyage
the maiden flight of a spacecraft

Examples of maiden in a Sentence

Noun a story about a courageous knight who rescues a fair maiden a story about a beautiful maiden and her mysterious father Adjective the maiden issue of a new magazine a politician giving his maiden speech in the Senate
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Since breaking his maiden on the Jimmy Durante turf course at Del Mar on September 10, 2023, Formidable Man has reeled off five consecutive Stakes wins in his starts at the Seaside Oval. Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025 Federico Chiesa earned cult hero status during his maiden campaign at Liverpool. James Pearce, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
The feeling was nothing short of liberatory, as any maiden voyager who falls under the Dionysian spell of the island will feel. Fran Tirado, Them., 4 Sep. 2025 Red Bull Racing Formula One team principal Laurent Mekies has opened up about the potential promotion of rookie driver Isack Hadjar, who secured his maiden podium at the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend. Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for maiden

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English, from Old English mægden, mǣden, diminutive of mægeth; akin to Old High German magad maiden, Old Irish mug serf

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of maiden was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Maiden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maiden. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

maiden

1 of 2 noun
maid·​en ˈmād-ᵊn How to pronounce maiden (audio)
: a young unmarried girl or woman
maidenhood
-ˌhu̇d
noun
maidenly
-lē
adjective

maiden

2 of 2 adjective
1
a
: not married
maiden aunt
2
: of or relating to a maiden
3
: coming before all others : first, earliest
maiden voyage

More from Merriam-Webster on maiden

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