Dictionary

old maid en · NOUN

Pronunciation

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Meanings

1. (countable, derogatory, uncountable) An old woman who has never married; a spinster.
   • The people produce far more food than they consume, and exchange the surplus for gongs and brass cannon, ancient jars, and gold and silver ornaments, which constitute their wealth. On the whole, they appear very free from disease, marriages take place early (but not too early), and old bachelors and old maids are alike unknown. Why, then, we must inquire, has not a greater population been produced? 1869, Alfred Russel Wallace, The Malay Archipelago, volume I, London: Macmillan and Co., page 141:
   • If she is looking for the perfect man before she marries, she'll be an old maid.
2. (countable, uncountable) The Madagascar periwinkle.
   • Old Maids, Vinca rosea 1947, Olive Percival, Our old-fashioned flowers, page 187:
   • The following are the only hardy species grown, but V. rosea, with rosy or white flowers, is a pretty greenhouse plant known as ' Old Maid ' or ' Madagascar Periwinkle'. 1901, John Weathers, A Practical Guide to Garden Plants::
   • Here I show that Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don f. (Apocynaceae), known as Old Maid or Madagascar periwinkle, has floral nectaries that combine both functions. 2004, African Entomology: Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa:
   • They would bring potted plants and ferns and seeds for old-maids and periwinkles. 1975, William Goyen, The Collected Stories of William Goyen, page 158:
   • Vincas — Old Maids or Periwinkles, often serve a useful purpose as edgings or ground work to beds or borders. 1915, Trinidad. Dept. of Agriculture, Bulletin - Volumes 14-21, page 21:
3. (countable, uncountable) The common zinnia.
   • Zinnia elegans: Common Zinnia, Old-Maids Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower) Size: 1–4 ft Zones: NA Warm-season annual Summer flowers in all colors 2011, William C. Welch, Greg Grant, Heirloom Gardening in the South: Yesterday's Plants for Today's Gardens, →ISBN:
   • Of annuals: Sweet Alyssum, Amaranthus — Prince's Feather, and Love lies bleeding, Celosia— Cock's comb; Asters, Callistephus— China and German Asters, Centaurea, Bachelor's Button, Clarkia Coreopsis, Datura, Escholzia, Hibuiscus— Rose Mallow, Iberis— Candy tuft, Impatiens— Balsam, Lavatera, Lupin, Mimosa, Mirabilis, Four o'clock— Marvel of Peru, Nigella— Love-in-a-mist— Jack in the Bush, Portulaca, Petunia, Reseda Odorata— Mignouette, Scabiosa— Mouring Bride, Silene— Catchfly, Calendula— Pot Marigold, Tagetes — French Marigold, and African do, Papaver — Poppy, and Zinnia — Old maids. 1868, The New England Farmer - Volume 2, page 347:
   • If the children are at home, the front yard, creeping unsodded from beneath the porch, is naked and clean. If the children are grown ..., verbena, old maids [zinnias], phlox, and four-o'clocks, crowd each together for space 2011, Susan Haltom, Jane Roy Brown, One Writer’s Garden: Eudora Welty’s Home Place, →ISBN, page 101:
   • Zinnias are sometimes known as "Old Maids" in the South. 1989, William C. Welch, Perennial Garden Color, page 247:
   • Among the flowers commonly grown were holly hocks, phlox, four o'clocks, bouncing betty, lantanas, the hardy flagg, now known as iris, zinnias, commonly called old maids, beds of chrysanthemums, periwinkle, lady slippers, blue bonnets, lark spur, prim rose, little wild yellow rose, climbing yellow rose, and single petal red rose. 1981, The West Texas Historical Association Year Book - Volume 57, page 79:
   • Décor featured a centerpiece at the old maid's party—the old maid flower, a zinnia. 2006, Anne Hart, 102 Ways to Apply Career Training in Family History/Genealogy, →ISBN:
4. (countable, uncountable) An unpopped kernel in a batch of popped popcorn kernels.
   • 2004 April 29 – May 5, "Unpopped Kernels Costing U.S. Billions", The Onion, available in Embedded in America, →ISBN, page 147, Crawford asked Congress to double funding for the FDA's $200 million old-maid-elimination research project.
5. (uncountable) A card game in which cards must be paired and one unmatchable card is designated "old maid".
6. (countable, uncountable) The unmatchable card in that game.

Forms

Deriveds

old-maidism · old-maidish · old-maidhood

Relateds

Old Maid

Synonyms

spinster (old unmarried woman) · Old Maid (card game)

Translations (4)

ca borrego (unpopped popcorn) · ca agüelo (unpopped popcorn) · ca frare (unpopped popcorn) · pl nieotwarte ziarna kukurydzy (unpopped popcorn)