What does spinster mean?

Definitions for spinster
ˈspɪn stərspin·ster

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word spinster.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. spinster, old maidnoun

    an elderly unmarried woman

  2. spinner, spinster, thread makernoun

    someone who spins (who twists fibers into threads)

Wiktionary

  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 Dictionary

  1. Spinsternoun

    Etymology: from spin.

    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.

    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.

Wikipedia

  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.

ChatGPT

  1. spinster

    A spinster is a term traditionally used to refer to an older woman who has never been married and does not have children. It can often carry a negative, stigmatizing connotation, suggesting that such a woman is alone because she chose to focus on her independence, career or chose to not follow conventional social norms. However, it's usage is considered outdated and potentially offensive in modern contexts.

Webster Dictionary

  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.]

Wikidata

  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 Dictionary

  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 Wurdz

  1. SPINSTER

    An ember from which the sparks have flown.

Etymology and Origins

  1. Spinster

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

Matched Categories

How to pronounce spinster?

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.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

spinster#10000#51284#100000

Translations for spinster

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for spinster »

Translation

Find a translation for the spinster definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"spinster." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/spinster>.

Discuss these spinster definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for spinster? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    spinster

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    manifestly demonstrative
    A ostensive
    B tenebrous
    C irascible
    D bibulous

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for spinster: