maidenhood
/ˈmeɪd(ə)nhʊd/ noun
Forms maidenhoods
- noun (uncountable) The condition of being a maiden; the time when one is a maiden or young girl.
- noun (countable, metonymic) A woman's virginity or maidenhead.
- noun (by extension) Freshness; newness.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English maydenhede, maydenhode, from Old English mæġdenhād (“maidenhood”). By surface analysis, maiden + -hood.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The state of being a maid or a virgin; virginity. Shak.
- noun Newness; freshness; uncontaminated state.
Etymology [AS. mægdenhad. See Maid, and -hood.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “maidenhood”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details