Dictionary

spinster en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈspɪnstɚ/ (General-American)
• /ˈspɪnstə/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. (derogatory, sometimes) A woman who has never been married, especially one past the typical marrying age according to social traditions.
   • If […] a woman be named spinster, she may abate […]the same [writ]. 1628–1644, Edw[ard] Coke, (please specify |part=1 to 4), London:
   • […]as a young woman she created a scandal by pursuing a passionate affair with a married opera singer, and she has spent the rest of her life as a spinster daydreaming of her long-lost love. 1999 November 2, Michiko Kakutani, “Books of The Times: A Single Girl Takes On the California Frontier”, in The New York Times (E section), New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 7:
   • Iola Boylen is Mama's longtime friend and neighbor, a spinster who lives with her never-seen domineering mother. 1993, Vincent Terrace, Television Character and Story Facts, Over 110,000 Details from 1,008 Shows, 1945-1992, page 282:
2. 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.
3. (obsolete) Someone whose occupation was spinning thread.
   • The spinsters and the knitters in the sun. c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv]:
4. (obsolete) A woman of evil life and character; so called from being forced to spin in a house of correction.
5. (dialectal, rare) A spider; an insect (such as a silkworm) which spins thread.

Forms

Deriveds

spinsterdom · inspin · spinsterly · spinsterhood · spinstress · spinsterlike · spinstership · spinsterish · spinsterism

Relateds

divorcee · thornback · widow · bachelorette · bachelor

Synonyms

old maid

Translations (145)

de alte Jungfer (unmarried woman) · enm spynnestere (obsolete: occupation) · sh usìdelica (unmarried woman) · ru прядильщица (obsolete: occupation) · sv ungmö (unmarried woman) · khb ᦉᦱᧁᦏᧁᧉ (unmarried woman) · io damzelo (unmarried woman) · fr fileuse (obsolete: occupation) · sh babadjevojka (unmarried woman) · da pebermø (unmarried woman) · hi बूढ़ी कुँवारी (unmarried woman) · izh vanhatyttö (unmarried woman) · bg ста́ра мо́ма (unmarried woman) · eu neskazahar (unmarried woman) · shn သၢဝ်ၵႄႇ (unmarried woman) · km សាវកែ (unmarried woman) · ga bean shingil (unmarried woman) · scn schetta (unmarried woman) · tr yaşlı kız (unmarried woman) · ps مجرده (unmarried woman) · ja オールドミス (unmarried woman) · sh бабадевојка (unmarried woman) · ru векову́ха (unmarried woman) · lt senmergė (unmarried woman) · my အပျိုကြီး (unmarried woman) · gl poula (unmarried woman) · nl spinster (obsolete: occupation) · cy hen ferch (unmarried woman) · ce ойна (unmarried woman) · ka შინაბერა (unmarried woman) · tl pindangga (unmarried woman) · ja 売れ残り (unmarried woman) · kk кәрі қыз (unmarried woman) · ur بُوڑی کُن٘واری (unmarried woman) · mn хөгшин хүүхэн (unmarried woman) · ms andartu (unmarried woman) · ko 노처녀 (unmarried woman) · ps ستۍ (unmarried woman) · enm spynnere (obsolete: occupation) · gl fiandeiro (obsolete: occupation) · he בְּתוּלָה זְקֵנָה (unmarried woman) · ca filadora (obsolete: occupation) · nl spinner (obsolete: occupation) · mk стара мома (unmarried woman) · km ក្រមុំចាស់ (unmarried woman) · vi gái già (unmarried woman) · hu vénlány (unmarried woman) · nl spindoctor (one who spins a political media story) · ky кары кыз (unmarried woman) · it zitella (unmarried woman) · af oujongnooi (unmarried woman) · th เทื้อ (unmarried woman) · ca conca (unmarried woman) · km ព្រៅ (unmarried woman) · az qarımış qız (unmarried woman) · sh усѝделица (unmarried woman) · ca filador (obsolete: occupation) · nn peparmøy (unmarried woman) · tt карт кыз (unmarried woman) · mi marokore (unmarried woman) · de Spinner (obsolete: occupation) · cmn 老處女 /老处女 (unmarried woman) · vi bà cô già (unmarried woman) · fr vieille fille (unmarried woman) · fa-ira پیرْدُخْتَر (unmarried woman) · nl oude vrijster (unmarried woman) · es solterona (unmarried woman) · mi maro kau (unmarried woman) · fr fileur (obsolete: occupation) · st lefetwa (unmarried woman) · hu aggszűz (unmarried woman) · ja ハイミス (unmarried woman) · ko 로처녀 (unmarried woman) · gv ben sneeuee (unmarried woman) · pl stara panna (unmarried woman) · mn гэртээ хөгширсөн эмэгтэй (unmarried woman) · ga puisbhean (unmarried woman) · km ស្ត្រីព្រៅ (unmarried woman) · hu kézifonónő (obsolete: occupation) · lv vecmeita (unmarried woman) · lo ນາງສາວແກ່ (unmarried woman) · tg пирдухтар (unmarried woman) · mn нөхөргүй эмэгтэй (unmarried woman) · tr kız kurusu (unmarried woman) · th สาวแก่ (unmarried woman) · sk stará panna (unmarried woman) · pt solteira (unmarried woman) · hu vénkisasszony (unmarried woman) · ru ста́рая де́ва (unmarried woman) · mn гэртээ өтөлсөн эмэгтэй (unmarried woman) · be стара́я дзе́ва (unmarried woman) · tg духтари пир (unmarried woman) · is piparmey (unmarried woman) · sh усѝдјелица (unmarried woman) · gv ben sneeuee (obsolete: occupation) · th สาวทึนทึก (unmarried woman) · de Spinnerin (obsolete: occupation) · de älteres Fräulein (unmarried woman) · mi wahine takakau (unmarried woman) · id perawan tua (unmarried woman) · az qoca qız (unmarried woman) · he רַוָּקָה זְקֵנָה (unmarried woman) · es quedada (unmarried woman) · sh babadevojka (unmarried woman) · mi wahine taumaro (unmarried woman) · tr kalmış (unmarried woman) · ko 올드 미스 (unmarried woman) · nb peppermø (unmarried woman) · de Junggesellin (unmarried woman) · tk garry gyz (unmarried woman) · mi wahine kiritapu (unmarried woman) · cs stará panna (unmarried woman) · fi kehrääjä (obsolete: occupation) · ar عَانِس (unmarried woman) · nl ongehuwde vrouw (unmarried woman) · de unverheiratete Frau (unmarried woman) · uz qari qiz (unmarried woman) · gl solteirona (unmarried woman) · pt encalhada (unmarried woman) · gd seana-mhaighdeann (unmarried woman) · sv fröken (unmarried woman) · ps په کور ناسته پېغله (unmarried woman) · ro fată bătrână (unmarried woman) · gl fiandeira (obsolete: occupation) · cmn 剩女 (unmarried woman) · sh usìdjelica (unmarried woman) · el γεροντοκόρη (unmarried woman) · sl stara devica (unmarried woman) · pt fiadeiro (obsolete: occupation) · ba ҡарт ҡыҙ (unmarried woman) · th ทึนทึก (unmarried woman) · hy պառաված օրիորդ (unmarried woman) · hy տանը մնացած (unmarried woman) · sh бабадјевојка (unmarried woman) · nb attergløyme (unmarried woman) · mi takakau (unmarried woman) · et vanatüdruk (unmarried woman) · nb peppermøy (unmarried woman) · ug قېرى قىز (unmarried woman) · nn attergløyme (unmarried woman) · pt solteirona (unmarried woman) · pt fiadeira (obsolete: occupation) · ru сучильщица (obsolete: occupation) · fi vanhapiika (unmarried woman) · uk стара́ ді́ва (unmarried woman)