Definition of spinster in English:

spinster

noun ˈspɪnstəˈspɪnstər

An unmarried woman, typically an older woman beyond the usual age for marriage.
Example sentencesExamples
- For example, until recently hardline bachelors and spinsters were seen as odd and eccentric - while today they have become mainstream, even positive figures.
- Youths, who remained bachelors and spinsters due to their economic backwardness, were identified and provided with the required cash and materials for settling down in life.
- A spinster is more than a female bachelor: she is beyond the expected marrying age and therefore seen as rejected and undesirable.
- I want you to realize that are better choices than being a lonely spinster.
- Finally, the night was drawing to an end and I was dragged up the front along with all the other unmarried spinsters - against my protests - to try and catch the bouquet.
- What is to be regretted, however, is the demise of all those conscientious spinsters and widows who used to type authors' manuscripts.
- Single men and those with families, wives, widows and spinsters could all be found in the movement.
- Bachelors and spinsters continued to be common and the age of marriage remained high.
- Female sexuality is now in a better state than it was in Victorian England, when women were categorised into three types: virgin spinsters, wives who only tolerated sex, or whores.
- The advice literature reiterated this view in the 1830s, '40s, and '50s, and the theme of true marriage and moral spinsters persisted into the last decades of the century.
- If blame is to be laid, it should be at the feet of a handful of aged and godly spinsters and widows who taught me through my primary education.
- Texas's married women quickly relinquished power to their husbands after the Civil War, and spinsters and widows in the Old Southeast maintained close economic and personal ties to kin.
- Unmarried women over twenty were considered spinsters, and bachelors in their late twenties were subjected to public censure and mockery.
- The experience of these nineteenth-century spinsters cannot be divorced from their language because it structured their experience, indeed, it made their experience possible.
- At one time this would have raised eyebrows - all those lonely spinsters and neglected bachelors sitting at home, pining for a mate.
- Both widows and spinsters were prominent in property ownership and in financing businesses as sleeping partners.
- Not that single men of today do not have the same taste as the bachelors or spinsters of those days but it so happened that during that period the circumstances were unique.
- He is a gigolo, a love 'em and leave 'em flimflam man who promises widows and spinsters marriage and devotion on the premise of a substantial upfront cash payment.
- Ann Street started life as an out-of-the-way address for well-to-do widows and spinsters.
- Jane is the bright spot in her lonely spinster's life, and a letter from Jane is what she lives and waits for.
Synonyms
unwed, unwedded, single, spouseless, partnerless, husbandless, wifeless

Usage

The development of the word spinster is a good example of the way in which a word acquires strong connotations to the extent that it can no longer be used in a neutral sense. From the 17th century the word was appended to names as the official legal description of an unmarried woman: Elizabeth Harris of London, Spinster. This type of use survives today in some legal and religious contexts. In modern everyday English, however, 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

Derivatives

spinsterhood

nounˈspɪnstəhʊdˈspɪnstərˌhʊd

I swear to God… I am preparing for my spinsterhood.
Example sentencesExamples
- Or perhaps, in a more generous mood, you'd have her turning 40 and sinking gracefully into the silent oblivion of confirmed spinsterhood.
- Often they picked one child - usually a daughter - to stay home with the parents, caring for them well into her spinsterhood.
- Her omnipotent Jewish mother valiantly works to end her daughter's spinsterhood, but to no avail.
- Is this the sound of my impending spinsterhood?

spinsterish

adjectiveˈspɪnstərɪʃˈspɪnst(ə)rɪʃ

Sheba is branded a harlot in the press and forced to quit her job and flee the family home, which she does with Barbara Covett, the school's spinsterish history teacher.
Example sentencesExamples
- Edith and her sister were trapped in spinsterish lives, caring for their selfish, manipulative mother.
- Too stern, too bookish, or too spinsterish - it was obvious that choosing glasses is tougher than finding a single man who's not weird.
- Brian told the secretary, a comically spinsterish woman with a bun and glasses, that they were there for Mr. Mallard.
- Lenore's a singing waitress who's been dumped by her long-term boyfriend; Heidi is a spinsterish professor at Concordia, partnerless, but determined to get pregnant.

Origin

Late Middle English (in the sense 'woman who spins'): from the verb spin + -ster; in early use the term was appended to names of women to denote their occupation. The current sense dates from the early 18th century.

A spinster was originally a woman who spun, something that many unmarried women used to do at home to earn their living. The word was often added after the name of a woman to describe her occupation, and in time became the official description of an unmarried woman. Today it has a dated feel and alludes to a stereotypical figure of an older woman who is unmarried, childless, and prim or repressed. The word could also once refer to another kind of spinner, a spider, and spider itself is descended from Old English spithra, from spinnan ‘to spin’. See also cobweb

Rhymes

minster

Definition of spinster in US English:

spinster

nounˈspinstərˈspɪnstər

An unmarried woman, typically an older woman beyond the usual age for marriage.
Example sentencesExamples
- Unmarried women over twenty were considered spinsters, and bachelors in their late twenties were subjected to public censure and mockery.
- For example, until recently hardline bachelors and spinsters were seen as odd and eccentric - while today they have become mainstream, even positive figures.
- Bachelors and spinsters continued to be common and the age of marriage remained high.
- Not that single men of today do not have the same taste as the bachelors or spinsters of those days but it so happened that during that period the circumstances were unique.
- The advice literature reiterated this view in the 1830s, '40s, and '50s, and the theme of true marriage and moral spinsters persisted into the last decades of the century.
- Ann Street started life as an out-of-the-way address for well-to-do widows and spinsters.
- Finally, the night was drawing to an end and I was dragged up the front along with all the other unmarried spinsters - against my protests - to try and catch the bouquet.
- At one time this would have raised eyebrows - all those lonely spinsters and neglected bachelors sitting at home, pining for a mate.
- Female sexuality is now in a better state than it was in Victorian England, when women were categorised into three types: virgin spinsters, wives who only tolerated sex, or whores.
- A spinster is more than a female bachelor: she is beyond the expected marrying age and therefore seen as rejected and undesirable.
- I want you to realize that are better choices than being a lonely spinster.
- He is a gigolo, a love 'em and leave 'em flimflam man who promises widows and spinsters marriage and devotion on the premise of a substantial upfront cash payment.
- Youths, who remained bachelors and spinsters due to their economic backwardness, were identified and provided with the required cash and materials for settling down in life.
- If blame is to be laid, it should be at the feet of a handful of aged and godly spinsters and widows who taught me through my primary education.
- What is to be regretted, however, is the demise of all those conscientious spinsters and widows who used to type authors' manuscripts.
- Jane is the bright spot in her lonely spinster's life, and a letter from Jane is what she lives and waits for.
- Texas's married women quickly relinquished power to their husbands after the Civil War, and spinsters and widows in the Old Southeast maintained close economic and personal ties to kin.
- Single men and those with families, wives, widows and spinsters could all be found in the movement.
- Both widows and spinsters were prominent in property ownership and in financing businesses as sleeping partners.
- The experience of these nineteenth-century spinsters cannot be divorced from their language because it structured their experience, indeed, it made their experience possible.
Synonyms
unwed, unwedded, single, spouseless, partnerless, husbandless, wifeless

Usage

The development of the word spinster is a good example of the way in which a word acquires strong connotations to the extent that it can no longer be used in a neutral sense. From the 17th century, the word was appended to names as the official legal description of an unmarried woman: Elizabeth Harris of Boston, Spinster. This type of use survives today only in some legal and religious contexts. In modern everyday English, however, spinster cannot be used to mean simply ‘unmarried woman’; as such, it is a derogatory term, referring or alluding to a stereotype of an older woman who is unmarried, childless, prissy, and repressed

Origin

Late Middle English (in the sense ‘woman who spins’): from the verb spin + -ster; in early use the term was appended to names of women to denote their occupation. The current sense dates from the early 18th century.

单词	spinster
释义	Definition of spinster in English: spinster noun ˈspɪnstəˈspɪnstər An unmarried woman, typically an older woman beyond the usual age for marriage. Example sentencesExamples For example, until recently hardline bachelors and spinsters were seen as odd and eccentric - while today they have become mainstream, even positive figures. Youths, who remained bachelors and spinsters due to their economic backwardness, were identified and provided with the required cash and materials for settling down in life. A spinster is more than a female bachelor: she is beyond the expected marrying age and therefore seen as rejected and undesirable. I want you to realize that are better choices than being a lonely spinster. Finally, the night was drawing to an end and I was dragged up the front along with all the other unmarried spinsters - against my protests - to try and catch the bouquet. What is to be regretted, however, is the demise of all those conscientious spinsters and widows who used to type authors' manuscripts. Single men and those with families, wives, widows and spinsters could all be found in the movement. Bachelors and spinsters continued to be common and the age of marriage remained high. Female sexuality is now in a better state than it was in Victorian England, when women were categorised into three types: virgin spinsters, wives who only tolerated sex, or whores. The advice literature reiterated this view in the 1830s, '40s, and '50s, and the theme of true marriage and moral spinsters persisted into the last decades of the century. If blame is to be laid, it should be at the feet of a handful of aged and godly spinsters and widows who taught me through my primary education. Texas's married women quickly relinquished power to their husbands after the Civil War, and spinsters and widows in the Old Southeast maintained close economic and personal ties to kin. Unmarried women over twenty were considered spinsters, and bachelors in their late twenties were subjected to public censure and mockery. The experience of these nineteenth-century spinsters cannot be divorced from their language because it structured their experience, indeed, it made their experience possible. At one time this would have raised eyebrows - all those lonely spinsters and neglected bachelors sitting at home, pining for a mate. Both widows and spinsters were prominent in property ownership and in financing businesses as sleeping partners. Not that single men of today do not have the same taste as the bachelors or spinsters of those days but it so happened that during that period the circumstances were unique. He is a gigolo, a love 'em and leave 'em flimflam man who promises widows and spinsters marriage and devotion on the premise of a substantial upfront cash payment. Ann Street started life as an out-of-the-way address for well-to-do widows and spinsters. Jane is the bright spot in her lonely spinster's life, and a letter from Jane is what she lives and waits for. Synonyms unwed, unwedded, single, spouseless, partnerless, husbandless, wifeless Usage The development of the word spinster is a good example of the way in which a word acquires strong connotations to the extent that it can no longer be used in a neutral sense. From the 17th century the word was appended to names as the official legal description of an unmarried woman: Elizabeth Harris of London, Spinster. This type of use survives today in some legal and religious contexts. In modern everyday English, however, 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 Derivatives spinsterhood nounˈspɪnstəhʊdˈspɪnstərˌhʊd I swear to God… I am preparing for my spinsterhood. Example sentencesExamples Or perhaps, in a more generous mood, you'd have her turning 40 and sinking gracefully into the silent oblivion of confirmed spinsterhood. Often they picked one child - usually a daughter - to stay home with the parents, caring for them well into her spinsterhood. Her omnipotent Jewish mother valiantly works to end her daughter's spinsterhood, but to no avail. Is this the sound of my impending spinsterhood? spinsterish adjectiveˈspɪnstərɪʃˈspɪnst(ə)rɪʃ Sheba is branded a harlot in the press and forced to quit her job and flee the family home, which she does with Barbara Covett, the school's spinsterish history teacher. Example sentencesExamples Edith and her sister were trapped in spinsterish lives, caring for their selfish, manipulative mother. Too stern, too bookish, or too spinsterish - it was obvious that choosing glasses is tougher than finding a single man who's not weird. Brian told the secretary, a comically spinsterish woman with a bun and glasses, that they were there for Mr. Mallard. Lenore's a singing waitress who's been dumped by her long-term boyfriend; Heidi is a spinsterish professor at Concordia, partnerless, but determined to get pregnant. Origin Late Middle English (in the sense 'woman who spins'): from the verb spin + -ster; in early use the term was appended to names of women to denote their occupation. The current sense dates from the early 18th century. A spinster was originally a woman who spun, something that many unmarried women used to do at home to earn their living. The word was often added after the name of a woman to describe her occupation, and in time became the official description of an unmarried woman. Today it has a dated feel and alludes to a stereotypical figure of an older woman who is unmarried, childless, and prim or repressed. The word could also once refer to another kind of spinner, a spider, and spider itself is descended from Old English spithra, from spinnan ‘to spin’. See also cobweb Rhymes minster Definition of spinster in US English: spinster nounˈspinstərˈspɪnstər An unmarried woman, typically an older woman beyond the usual age for marriage. Example sentencesExamples Unmarried women over twenty were considered spinsters, and bachelors in their late twenties were subjected to public censure and mockery. For example, until recently hardline bachelors and spinsters were seen as odd and eccentric - while today they have become mainstream, even positive figures. Bachelors and spinsters continued to be common and the age of marriage remained high. Not that single men of today do not have the same taste as the bachelors or spinsters of those days but it so happened that during that period the circumstances were unique. The advice literature reiterated this view in the 1830s, '40s, and '50s, and the theme of true marriage and moral spinsters persisted into the last decades of the century. Ann Street started life as an out-of-the-way address for well-to-do widows and spinsters. Finally, the night was drawing to an end and I was dragged up the front along with all the other unmarried spinsters - against my protests - to try and catch the bouquet. At one time this would have raised eyebrows - all those lonely spinsters and neglected bachelors sitting at home, pining for a mate. Female sexuality is now in a better state than it was in Victorian England, when women were categorised into three types: virgin spinsters, wives who only tolerated sex, or whores. A spinster is more than a female bachelor: she is beyond the expected marrying age and therefore seen as rejected and undesirable. I want you to realize that are better choices than being a lonely spinster. He is a gigolo, a love 'em and leave 'em flimflam man who promises widows and spinsters marriage and devotion on the premise of a substantial upfront cash payment. Youths, who remained bachelors and spinsters due to their economic backwardness, were identified and provided with the required cash and materials for settling down in life. If blame is to be laid, it should be at the feet of a handful of aged and godly spinsters and widows who taught me through my primary education. What is to be regretted, however, is the demise of all those conscientious spinsters and widows who used to type authors' manuscripts. Jane is the bright spot in her lonely spinster's life, and a letter from Jane is what she lives and waits for. Texas's married women quickly relinquished power to their husbands after the Civil War, and spinsters and widows in the Old Southeast maintained close economic and personal ties to kin. Single men and those with families, wives, widows and spinsters could all be found in the movement. Both widows and spinsters were prominent in property ownership and in financing businesses as sleeping partners. The experience of these nineteenth-century spinsters cannot be divorced from their language because it structured their experience, indeed, it made their experience possible. Synonyms unwed, unwedded, single, spouseless, partnerless, husbandless, wifeless Usage The development of the word spinster is a good example of the way in which a word acquires strong connotations to the extent that it can no longer be used in a neutral sense. From the 17th century, the word was appended to names as the official legal description of an unmarried woman: Elizabeth Harris of Boston, Spinster. This type of use survives today only in some legal and religious contexts. In modern everyday English, however, spinster cannot be used to mean simply ‘unmarried woman’; as such, it is a derogatory term, referring or alluding to a stereotype of an older woman who is unmarried, childless, prissy, and repressed Origin Late Middle English (in the sense ‘woman who spins’): from the verb spin + -ster; in early use the term was appended to names of women to denote their occupation. The current sense dates from the early 18th century.
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