damsel

noun

dam·​sel ˈdam-zəl How to pronounce damsel (audio)
variants or less commonly damosel or damozel
: a young woman:
a
archaic : a young unmarried woman of noble birth
b
: girl

Examples of damsel in a Sentence

knights are celebrated in fairy tales for rescuing damsels in distress
Recent Examples on the Web In downtown Fort Worth, at the confluence of the Trinity’s West Fork and Clear Fork, naturalists have documented 57 species of butterflies and moths, 24 kinds of fish, 23 species of dragonflies and damsel flies, 49 species of birds, and 35 types of ants, wasps and bees. Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 May 2024 But the damsel isn’t in distress, the monster isn’t so bad, and some raunchy jokes may go over kids’ heads (but will likely delight parents). Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for damsel 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'damsel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English damesel, from Anglo-French dameisele, from Vulgar Latin *domnicella young noblewoman, diminutive of Latin domina lady

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of damsel was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near damsel

Cite this Entry

“Damsel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/damsel. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

damsel

noun
dam·​sel ˈdam-zəl How to pronounce damsel (audio)
variants also damosel or damozel
ˈdam-ə-ˌzel
Etymology

Middle English damesel "damsel," from early French dameisele (same meaning), from Latin domina "lady, mistress" — related to dame

More from Merriam-Webster on damsel

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