maiden

American  

[meyd-n] / ˈmeɪd n /

noun

maidens plural

1. a girl or young unmarried woman; maid.

2. Archaic. a female virgin.

3. Maiden, (in Neopaganism) the first form of the Goddess, represented as a young woman and said to symbolize youth and the first stages of life or growth.

4. a horse that has never won a race.

5. a race open only to maiden horses.

6. an instrument resembling the guillotine, formerly used in Scotland for beheading criminals.

7. Cricket. maiden over.

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adjective

1. Archaic. of, relating to, or befitting a girl or unmarried woman.

   her maiden virtues.

2. Archaic. (of a woman, especially one past middle age) unmarried.

   my maiden aunt.

3. (of a girl or woman) never having had sexual intercourse; virgin.

4. made, tried, appearing, etc., for the first time.

   a maiden flight.

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.

maiden British  

/ ˈmeɪdən /

noun

1. archaic

   1. a young unmarried girl, esp when a virgin

   2. ( as modifier )

      a maiden blush

2. horse racing

   1. a horse that has never won a race

   2. ( as modifier )

      a maiden race

3. cricket See maiden over

4. Also called: clothes maiden.  dialect a frame on which clothes are hung to dry; clothes horse

5. (modifier) of or relating to an older unmarried woman

   a maiden aunt

6. (modifier) of or involving an initial experience or attempt

   a maiden voyage

   maiden speech

7. (modifier) (of a person or thing) untried; unused

8. (modifier) (of a place) never trodden, penetrated, or captured

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• maidenship
  noun
• maiden-like
  adjective
• maidenish
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• maidens
  plural

Etymology

Origin of maiden

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English mægden, equivalent to mægd, mæg(e)th (cognate with German Magd, Gothic magaths ) + -en -en ⁵

Explanation

Maiden is an old-fashioned term for a girl or an unmarried young woman. If you like reading fantasy novels, you've probably encountered plenty of knights and maidens — and maybe even a dragon or two. These days, you will hardly ever see this word used to mean an unmarried woman, except maybe humorously. However, you will see it used when discussing the maiden voyage of a ship or plane: in both cases, the word indicates youth and inexperience. Also, the maiden name of a married woman is her name before marriage, a name many women keep after marriage too. There is also a meaning of maiden in the baseball-like British game of cricket.

Example Sentences

Robby Morgan went four for four and Austin Maiden hit a three-run home run.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

Billy Idol, chanteuse Sade, metal legends Iron Maiden and Manchester outfits Joy Division and New Order were also honored, along with hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan and velvet-voiced crooner Luther Vandross.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

A record number of British performers are to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, with Oasis, heavy metal legends Iron Maiden and Sade amongst those voted in.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

There's strong British representation on this year's list - Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order and Sade are all up for induction at the second or third attempts.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

By the first of June, the Fox sisters were in residence at a suite of rooms in Barnum’s Hotel located at the corner of Broadway and Maiden Lane.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• inaugural
• introductory