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
The rocket's maiden voyage, designated TestFlight1, will be the first of several for the launch vehicle, as Gilmour Space qualifies its systems and propulsion technology. Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 May 2025 That includes its two new cruise ships set for their maiden voyages later this year. Kevin Stankiewicz,matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 12 May 2025
Adjective
In the last two months, his league form has been solid, with his maiden goal for the club against Real Sociedad in March followed by an assist for Lopez’s winner at Real Valladolid this month. Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 16 May 2025 The company's second Icon Class ship, Star of the Seas, is scheduled to set sail on its maiden voyage in August 2025, followed by the third ship, Legend of the Seas, which will launch in Europe in summer 2026. Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 15 May 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 28 May. 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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