Definitions for spinster
ˈspɪn stərspin·ster

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. spinster, old maidnoun

   an elderly unmarried woman

2. spinner, spinster, thread makernoun

   someone who spins (who twists fibers into threads)

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. spinsternoun

   A woman who has never been married, especially one past the normal marrying age according to social traditions.

2. spinsternoun

   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 spin master.

3. spinsternoun

   Someone whose occupation was spinning thread.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Spinsternoun

   Etymology: from spin.

   1. A woman that spins.

   The spinsters and the knitters in the sun,
   And the free maids that weave their thread with bones,
   Do use to chant it. William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night.

   2. [In law.] The general term for a girl or maiden woman.

   One Michael Cassio,
   That never set a squadron in the field,
   Nor the division of a battle knows
   More than a spinster. William Shakespeare, Othello.

   I desire that a yearly annuity of twenty pounds shall be paid to Rebecca Dingley of the city of Dublin, spinster, during her life. Jonathan Swift.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Spinster

   Spinster is a term referring to an unmarried woman who is older than what is perceived as the prime age range during which women usually marry. It can also indicate that a woman is considered unlikely to ever marry. The term originally denoted a woman whose occupation was to spin. A synonymous term is old maid. The closest equivalent term for males is "bachelor" or "confirmed bachelor", but this generally does not carry the same connotations in reference to age and perceived desirability in marriage.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Spinsternoun

   a woman who spins, or whose occupation is to spin

2. Spinsternoun

   a man who spins

3. Spinsternoun

   an unmarried or single woman; -- used in legal proceedings as a title, or addition to the surname

4. Spinsternoun

   a woman of evil life and character; -- so called from being forced to spin in a house of correction

5. Etymology: [Spin + -ster.]

FreebaseRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Spinster

   A spinster, or old maid, is an older, childless woman who has never been married. A "spinster" is not simply a "single" woman, but a woman who has not formed a human pair bond by the time she is approaching or has reached menopause and the end of her reproductive lifespan. For a woman to be identified as a spinster, age is critical. "If someone is a spinster, by implication she is not eligible [to marry]; she has had her chance, and been passed by," explains Robin Lakoff in Language and Woman's Place. "Hence, a girl of twenty cannot be properly called a spinster: she still has a chance to be married." "In modern everyday English," the New Oxford American Dictionary says, "spinster cannot be used to mean simply 'unmarried woman'; it is now always a derogatory term, referring or alluding to a stereotype of an older woman who is unmarried, childless, prissy, and repressed." The title "spinster" has nevertheless been embraced by feminists like Sheila Jeffreys, whose 1985 book The Spinster and Her Enemies defines spinsters simply as women who have chosen to reject sexual relationships with men.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Spinster

   spin′stėr, n. an unmarried female: an old maid: (obs.) a woman of loose character, fit for the spinning-house.—ns. Spin′sterdom, the world of old maids collectively; Spin′sterhood, Spin′stership, the state of being a spinster; Spin′stress, one who spins. [Orig. one who spins.]

The Foolish Dictionary, by Gideon WurdzRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. SPINSTER

   An ember from which the sparks have flown.

Etymology and OriginsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Spinster

   A maiden lady, so called from the distaff or spindle, the regular occupation of an unmarried female.

Matched Categories

1. • Maker

How to pronounce spinster?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say spinster in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of spinster in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of spinster in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of spinster in a Sentence

1. Amal Clooney:

   I met George when I was 35 and starting to become quite resigned to the idea that I would be a spinster. Then we met, five years later, he is the person who has my complete admiration and also the person whose smile makes me melt every time.

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