maiden

Word family

maid·en1 /ˈmeɪdn/ noun [countableC]

1. WOMAN literary a young girl, or a woman who is not married 少女；姑娘 SYN damsel

2. (also maiden over) in cricket, an over in which no runs are scored 〔板球比赛中的〕未得分的一轮投球

Examples from the Corpus

maiden• He won a maiden, a nursery and a conditions race earlier in the season and was most impressive.• But we are not told that Polyphemus ever loved any maiden except Galatea, or that any maiden ever loved Polyphemus.• Also patron of eloquence, maidens, preachers, single women, spinners, and students.• Heartbroken maidens were nothing to him.• And some, Perdita added, were cut out to be professional maidens.• She identifies this figure as an aspect of the Goddess - water maiden.• She can no longer see the water maiden.

maiden2 adjectiveadj

1. maiden flight/voyage TTFIRSTthe first journey that a plane or ship makes 〔飞机的〕首次飞行/〔船的〕首次航行

Examples from the Corpus

maiden flight/voyage• Read in studio A rather unusual hot air balloon has completed its maiden voyage.• The company said the first aircraft had experienced no problems during its 18-minute maiden flight.• I missed the maiden flight at Kitty Hawk and managed to be absent when Alan Dershowitz invented the appeal process.• As Dole and Kemp headed across the country, the team of surrogates was making its maiden voyage in California.• The maiden flight of the A-12 had been scheduled for November 1991, with a view to the aircraft becoming operational in the mid-1990s.• Fifty-two years before I met him, Lawrence Beesley had been a second-class passenger on the maiden voyage of the Titanic.• With barely a week to go before the maiden flight, Paul's report made alarming reading.

2. maiden speech British EnglishBrEPGP the first speech that someone makes in parliament 〔在议会中的〕首次演说

Examples from the Corpus

maiden speech• Or to congratulate me on my maiden speech?• Al Gore falls asleep as he makes maiden speech as Vice-President; no-one notices - they're all asleep too.• She told him that it was her intention to make her maiden speech at the conference.• But for a maiden speech, by tradition, everyone keeps absolutely silent and no one is allowed to interrupt.• One of the startling omissions from the maiden speech of the hon. Member for Langbaurgh was any mention of Teesside development corporation.• I was making my maiden speech, which is traditionally a somewhat nerve-wracking experience.

Examples from the Corpus

maiden• The maiden aunt who was invited to Walsingham House arrived in a four-wheeler.• A maiden century against Northants at Edgbaston and his county cap soon followed.• Two jets crashed on their maiden flights last year.• Fishwick - four maiden heifers £1575.• Or is Jones your maiden name?• But for a maiden speech, by tradition, everyone keeps absolutely silent and no one is allowed to interrupt.• The new prime minister admitted that her maiden speech had been too long.• I was making my maiden speech, which is traditionally a somewhat nerve-wracking experience.• As Dole and Kemp headed across the country, the team of surrogates was making its maiden voyage in California.• The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage.

From Longman Business Dictionary

maidenmaid·en /ˈmeɪdn/ adjectiveadj [only before a noun]

used to describe something that is being done for the first time

The group could pay a maiden dividend this year.

Origin maiden1

Old English mægden

maid·en1 nounmaiden2 adjectiveadj

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus