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spinster
[ spin-ster ]
/ ËspÉȘn stÉr /
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noun
Disparaging and Offensive. a woman still unmarried beyond the usual age of marrying.
Chiefly Law. a woman who has never married.
a woman whose occupation is spinning.
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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known asâŠ
usage note for spinster
The meaning âa woman beyond the usual marriageable ageâ is used with disparaging intent and perceived as insulting. It implies negative qualities such as being fussy or undesirable. See also old maid.
OTHER WORDS FROM spinster
spin·ster·hood, nounspin·ster·ish, adjectivespin·ster·ish·ly, adverbspin·ster·like, adjectiveWords nearby spinster
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use spinster in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for spinster
spinster
/ (ËspÉȘnstÉ) /
noun
an unmarried woman regarded as being beyond the age of marriage
(formerly) a woman who spins thread for her living
Derived forms of spinster
spinsterhood, nounspinsterish, adjectiveWord Origin for spinster
C14 (in the sense: a person, esp a woman, whose occupation is spinning; C17: a woman still unmarried): from spin + -ster
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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