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She would have been a very remarkable woman, if she had not been an old maid.
Thomas Nelson Page

Meaning of "old maid" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

PRONUNCIATION OF OLD MAID

old maid play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF OLD MAID

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Old maid is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES OLD MAID MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Spinster

A spinster is an older woman who has never been married or never had children. To be a spinster, a woman has to be approaching or past the age of menopause without having ever formed a human pair bond. For instance, 40-year-old, never-married mothers are not spinsters. But a single, never-married, childless, 40-year-old woman may be considered a spinster. An 18-year-old single woman would not be considered a spinster in contemporary language. The term is synonymous with "old maid". Several dictionaries flag it as a derogatory term.

Definition of old maid in the English dictionary

The first definition of old maid in the dictionary is a woman regarded as unlikely ever to marry; spinster. Other definition of old maid is a prim, fastidious, or excessively cautious person. Old maid is also a card game using a pack from which one card has been removed, in which players try to avoid holding the unpaired card at the end of the game.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE OLD MAID

old guard
old hand
Old Harry
old hat
Old High German
Old Icelandic
old identity
Old Irish
Old Kingdom
old lady
Old Latin
Old Low German
old man
Old Man River
old man´s beard
old master
old media
old money
old moon

WORDS THAT END LIKE OLD MAID

barmaid
bondmaid
bridemaid
bridesmaid
chambermaid
dairymaid
handmaid
housemaid
kitchenmaid
lady´s maid
maid
mermaid
meter maid
milkmaid
nursemaid
nurserymaid
parlourmaid
schoolmaid
scullery maid
seamaid

Synonyms and antonyms of old maid in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «old maid» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF OLD MAID

Find out the translation of old maid to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of old maid from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «old maid» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

老处女
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

solterona
570 millions of speakers

English

old maid
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

पुरानी नौकरानी
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

خادمة القديمة
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

старая дева
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

solteirona
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

পুরনো দাসী
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

vieille fille
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Pembantu rumah lama
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

alte Jungfer
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

オールドミス
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

늙은 하녀
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Lawas wadon
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

người giúp việc cũ
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

பழைய பணிப்பெண்
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

जुनी मोलकरीण
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Yaşlı hizmetçi
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

zitella
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

starą panną
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

стара діва
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

servitoare vechi
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

γεροντοκόρη
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

ou vrou
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

gammal piga
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

gamle hushjelp
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of old maid

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «OLD MAID»

The term «old maid» is regularly used and occupies the 106.458 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Regularly used
50
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «old maid» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of old maid
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «old maid».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «OLD MAID» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «old maid» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «old maid» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about old maid

EXAMPLES

5 QUOTES WITH «OLD MAID»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word old maid.
1
Edna Ferber
Being an old maid is like death by drowning, a really delightful sensation after you cease to struggle.
2
Lafcadio Hearn
There is one type of ideal woman very seldom described in poetry - the old maid, the woman whom sorrow or misfortune prevents from fulfilling her natural destiny.
3
Diane Keaton
I don't think that because I'm not married it's made my life any less. That old maid myth is garbage.
4
Thomas Nelson Page
She would have been a very remarkable woman, if she had not been an old maid.
5
Lily Tomlin
I grew up in a time when women didn't really do comedy. You had to be homely, overweight, an old maid, all that. You had to play a stereotype, because very attractive women were not supposed to be funny - because it's powerful; it's a threat.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «OLD MAID»

Discover the use of old maid in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to old maid and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
The Old Maid
Years later, on the eve of the girl's wedding, Charlotte's suppressed anguish surfaces. Wharton's keen eye for observing and articulating telling details of class and society elevates a soap opera scenario into a compelling drama.
Edith Wharton, 2012
2
Old Maid's Puzzle
After her mother's unexpected death last year, Dewey Pellicano inherits the Quilter Paradiso shop.
Terri Thayer, 2008
3
An Old Maid
One lived in Normandy, another at Bourges, a third (with whom we have here to do) flourished in Alencon, and doubtless the South possesses others. The number of the Valesian tribe is, however, of no consequence to the present tale.
Honore De Balzac, 1st World Library, 2005
4
The Confessions of an Old Maid
Lou Lawrence. I begin this diary in commemoration of the event. I did not have any birthday party. The time for such things is past for me. Not that I am in any way ashamed of my age, but an occasion of that kind would be likely to cause ...
Lou Lawrence, 1904
5
The gallery of antiquities. An old maid. The illustrious ...
"I fear you are making fun of me,'' said the old maid, "and that is not kind when all the town will probably misinterpret what happened to me yesterday." "As true as my name is du Bousquicv, mademoiselle, I have never changed in my feelings ...
Honoré de Balzac, 1900
6
The two brothers. An old maid
"I fear you are making fun of me," said the old maid, "and that is not kind when all the town will probably misinterpret what happened to me yesterday." "As true as my name is du Bousquier, mademoiselle, I have never changed in my feelings ...
Honoré de Balzac, Katharine Prescott Wormeley, 1896
7
The old maid of the family, by mrs. Mackenzie Daniels
THE OLD MAID OF THE FAMILY. A NOVEL. By MRS. MACKENZIE DANIELS, AUTHOR OP "MY SISTER MINNIE," " OUR GUARDIAN," "RUTH earnley," "the student's WIFE," " THE OLD HOME," &C. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. I. ?L on aim : T.
Elizabeth Daniel, 1858
8
Stories of an old maid: related to her nephews and nieces
related to her nephews and nieces Emile de Girardin (Mme), Gustave Doré. Stories of an old maid related to her nephews and nieces Emile de Girardin, Gustave Doré Stories of an old maid related to her nephews and Front Cover.
Emile de Girardin (Mme), Gustave Doré, 1856
9
An old maid's vengeance
BOOKS BY FRANCES POWELL Published by CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS An Old Maid's Vengeance net $1.25 (Postage extra) Old Mr. Davenant's Money SI. 50 The Prisoner of Ornith Farm $1.50 The By-Ways of Bralthe $1.50 The House ...
Frances Powell, Frances Powell Case, 1911
10
An Old Maid's Love: A Dutch Tale Told in English
A Dutch Tale Told in English Jozua Marius Willem van der Poorten Schwartz. soon as you arrest it." To Jakob this was absolute rubbish, the raving of a woman distracted by grief. He looked at Dorothy's pale young face, and she returned his  ...
Jozua Marius Willem van der Poorten Schwartz, 1891

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «OLD MAID»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term old maid is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Wildfire burns 11 acres at Mt. Hood National Forest; officials close …
The wildfire is located off of Forest Service Road 1825 in the Old Maid Flats/Lolo Pass Road area of Zigzag Ranger District. The fire was first ... «OregonLive.com, Jul 15»
2
'Polishing my nails? Oh, I've been polishing my nails forever -- ever …
I wanted to see if they had an Old Maid game. They did. They also had a Slapjack game. I didn't expect that. I thought Slapjack was a game ... «TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press, Jul 15»
3
Jessica Hershberg, William Parry and Cooper Grodin to Star in Palm …
... a drought, and a lonely young woman named Lizzie Curry is terrified that she's going to wind up, as one of the songs goes, an "Old Maid. «Broadway World, Jul 15»
4
Friendly persuasion is set to thrill
The tables have turned; Anne is nearly an old maid, and her once-rich family is on the verge of bankruptcy. Can Anne win him back? Can he ... «Aberdeen Press and Journal, Jul 15»
5
Athiya Shetty feels blessed with the positive response for the trailer …
... been accused of raping his ex-girlfriend Pooja Bedi's 15-year-old maid when the two celebs were allegedly dating. his mother says about his ... «Bollywood Life, Jul 15»
6
Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor are setting style goals for …
... been accused of raping his ex-girlfriend Pooja Bedi's 15-year-old maid when the two celebs were allegedly dating. his mother says about his ... «Bollywood Life, Jul 15»
7
You won't believe what Sonakshi Sinha affectionately calls Sooraj …
... been accused of raping his ex-girlfriend Pooja Bedi's 15-year-old maid when the two celebs were allegedly dating. his mother says about his ... «Bollywood Life, Jul 15»
8
Old Maids and Grumpy Old Men ... Psalm 109:4
Last week Cheryl and I played the game Old Maid with our two oldest grandchildren. In case you have missed out on one of life's greatest ... «Rheaheraldnews, Jul 15»
9
Leona E. Esser
... noise and laughter as her children and grandchildren gathered for sumptuous holiday meals and a fast-paced game of Old Maid or Scrabble. «Channel3000.com - WISC-TV3, Jul 15»
10
Old Settlers Reunion started as a picnic way back in 1890
Chants that went like, “Ice cold lemonade, made in the shade, stirred with a spade and good enough for any old maid.” The old horse-drawn ... «Buffalo Reflex, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Old maid [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/old-maid>. Apr 2024 ».
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