spinster

Meaning

1. (derogatory, sometimes) A woman who has never been married, especially one past the typical marrying age according to social traditions.
2. One who spins (puts a spin on) a political media story so as to give something a favorable or advantageous appearance; a spin doctor, spin merchant or spinmeister.
3. (obsolete) Someone whose occupation was spinning thread.
4. (obsolete) A woman of evil life and character; so called from being forced to spin in a house of correction.
5. (dialectal, rare) A spider; an insect (such as a silkworm) which spins thread.

Synonyms

old maid

bachelor

unmarried woman

spinner

thread maker

widow

unmarried

single

single woman

unmarried person

virgin

maid

single person

feme sole

widower

spin doctor

celibate

maiden

older unmarried woman

Translations

solterona

vieille fille

zitella

célibataire

Junggesellin

soltera

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈspɪnstə/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: spynnestere

In summary

From Middle English spynnestere (“woman who spins fibre”), from c. 1350; equivalent to spin + -ster. The semantic development is from a historical notion of unmarried women spinning thread for a living.