spinster
Meaning
- (derogatory, sometimes) A woman who has never been married, especially one past the typical marrying age according to social traditions.
- 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.
- (obsolete) Someone whose occupation was spinning thread.
- (obsolete) A woman of evil life and character; so called from being forced to spin in a house of correction.
- (dialectal, rare) A spider; an insect (such as a silkworm) which spins thread.
Synonyms
Translations
solterona
alte Jungfer
zitella
solteirona
vieille fille
kalmış
oude vrijster
γεροντοκόρη unverheiratete FrauFrequency
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ˈspɪnstə/
Etymology
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.
Notes
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