virginal

[vur-juh-nl]

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adjective

of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or befitting a virgin: virginal purity.

continuing in a state of virginity.

pure; unsullied; untouched: a virginal mountain stream.

Zoology. not fertilized.

Origin of virginal

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin virginālis, equivalent to virgin- virgin + -ālis -al¹

Related formsvir·gin·al·ly, adverb

virginal

[vur-juh-nl]

noun

Often virginals. a rectangular harpsichord with the strings stretched parallel to the keyboard, the earlier types placed on a table: popular in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Origin of virginal

First recorded in 1520–30; apparently special use of virginal¹

Related formsvir·gin·al·ist, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for virginal

pristine, chaste, angelic, clean, simple, stainless, celibate, quiet, virgin, vestal, moral, innocent, continent, nice, good, clear, safe, upright, austere, controlled

Examples from the Web for virginal

Contemporary Examples of virginal

McCarthy wore a virginal white wedding dress for the occasion.
Jenny McCarthy: I Am Not Anti-Vaccine
Lloyd Grove
October 24, 2014
The impression is left that this project would despoil a virginal natural landscape.
Why Environmentalists Actually Oppose Keystone XL
David Frum
January 12, 2012
And on the page, we finally get to meet the virginal Carrie, literally pre- Sex.
The Making of Carrie Bradshaw
Rebecca Dana
May 24, 2010

Historical Examples of virginal

Queen Elizabeth's virginal is still preserved at Worcestershire.
How the Piano Came to Be
Ellye Howell Glover
There are several explanations as to why the virginal was so called.
How the Piano Came to Be
Ellye Howell Glover
She had a virginal shape, and liked her clothes to cling about her knees.
Love and Lucy
Maurice Henry Hewlett
It was an exquisite morning, too virginal for June, too richly warm for May.
The Flying Mercury
Eleanor M. Ingram
She stood gazing at the firelit faces, the virginal half-smile on her lips.
The Crimson Tide
Robert W. Chambers

British Dictionary definitions for virginal

virginal

adjective

of, relating to, characterized by, proper to, or maintaining a state of virginity; chaste

extremely pure or fresh; untouched; undefiled

Derived Formsvirginally, adverb

Word Origin for virginal

C15: from Latin virginālis maidenly, from virgō virgin

virginal

noun

(often plural) a smaller version of the harpsichord, but oblong in shape, having one manual and no pedals

Derived Formsvirginalist, noun

Word Origin for virginal

C16: probably from Latin virginālis virginal 1, perhaps because it was played largely by young ladies

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for virginal

adj.

early 15c., from Old French virginal or directly from Latin virginalis, from virgin (see virgin). The keyed musical instrument so called from 1520s, but the reason is obscure (see virginals).