maiden: Meaning and Definition of

maid•en

Pronunciation: (mād'n), [key]
— n.
  1. a girl or young unmarried woman; maid.
  2. a horse that has never won a race.
  3. a race open only to maiden horses.
  4. an instrument resembling the guillotine, formerly used in Scotland for beheading criminals.
  5. See
—adj.
  1. of, pertaining to, or befitting a girl or unmarried woman.
  2. (of a woman) unmarried: my maiden aunt.
  3. made, tried, appearing, etc., for the first time: a maiden flight.
  4. virgin.
  5. (of a horse) never having won a race or a prize.
  6. (of a prize or a race) offered for or open only to maiden horses.
  7. untried, as a knight, soldier, or weapon.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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