old maid

noun

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Definition of old maid

1 : spinster sense 3

2 : a prim fussy person he was a real old maid about burning rubbish— R. C. Ruark

3 : a simple card game in which cards are matched in pairs and the player holding the unmatched card at the end loses

Other Words from old maid More Example Sentences Learn More About old maid

Other Words from old maid

old-maidish \ ˈōl(d)-ˈmā-dish

\ adjective

old-maidishness \ ˈōl(d)-ˈmā-dish-nəs

\ noun

Examples of old maid in a Sentence

In my generation, you were considered an old maid at 25.

Recent Examples on the Web An old maid at six and twenty, Kate arrives in London with her mother, Lady Mary Sharma (Shelley Conn), and younger half-sister Edwina (Charithra Chandran). — Katie Rife, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2022 Higgins also noted that Mary’s fate as an old maid in this alternative universe, portrayed as hideous and sad, is presented as perfectly fine, appropriate and desirable for Annie in the real world. — Christopher Wilson, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Dec. 2021 As Beres laughs and tries to decipher who has the old maid, MacDougall starts to laugh, too. — cleveland, 8 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'old maid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.