MAIDEN


Meaning of MAIDEN in English

/ ˈmeɪdn; NAmE / noun , adjective

■ noun

1.

( literary ) a young girl or woman who is not married :

stories of knights and fair maidens

2.

(also ˌmaiden ˈover ) ( in cricket ) an over in which no points are scored

■ adjective

[ only before noun ] being the first of its kind :

a maiden flight / voyage (= the first journey made by a plane / ship)

a maiden speech (= the first speech made by an MP in the parliaments of some countries)

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WORD ORIGIN

Old English mægden , from a Germanic diminutive meaning maid, virgin; related to German Mädchen , diminutive of Magd maid, from an Indo-European root shared by Old Irish mug boy, servant.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.