an old maid

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an old maid (old-fashioned)

an impolite way of referring to a woman who has never married

Usage notes: In the past, young women who were not married were called maids.

Terrified of becoming an old maid, she married the first man who made her an offer.

See also: old

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But then, to be an old maid at last, like Miss Bates Emma by Austen, Jane View in context "Mother is not an old maid," said his virgin sister with pinched lips. The Age of Innocence by Wharton, Edith View in context The younger girls formed hopes of COMING OUT a year or two sooner than they might otherwise have done; and the boys were relieved from their apprehension of Charlotte's dying an old maid. Pride and Prejudice by Austen, Jane View in context			an awkward customer an eager beaver an earful an early bath an early bird an earth mother an educated guess an ego trip an embarrassment of riches an éminence grise An empty sack cannot stand upright an end in itself an enfant terrible An Englishman's home is his castle an even break An eye for an eye an Indian summer an inside job an iron fist in a velvet glove an iron man an ivory tower an old chestnut an old flame an old hand an old head on young shoulders an old maid an old wives' tale an open book an open marriage an open sesame an own goal an ugly duckling an Uncle Tom an unknown quantity an uphill battle ancient history and and a half and all that jazz and change and hang the cost and how And how! and no messing and one for luck and so forth and that's a fact and then some and this and that and those and to spare			an itchy palm an itchy palm an itchy palm an ivory tower An Lu Shan An Lu-Shan An Lushan An Lushan An Lushan rebellion An Mhumhain An Mhumhain An Nafud An Najaf An Najaf An Nasariyah An Nasiriya An Nasiriyah An Nasiriyah, Iraq An Nefud AN Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds An Nhon an ocean of an ocean of a very large amount of an offensive form of command and control warfare an old chestnut An Old Flame An Old Friend an old hand an old head on young shoulders an old maid an old wives' tale An Open Book An Open Directory Resource An Open Ended Sky an open marriage an open sesame an or two an or two An Organization for Socio Economic Development AN Other An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure An Outstanding Young Person an own goal An Phoblacht Republican News An Phortaingéil An Phortaingéil AN region AN region AN region AN region an shen An Shi Rebellion An sich An sich An Srath Bán An Srath Bán AN SSSR An t-Eilean Sgitheanach An t-Údarás um Chosaint Iascaigh Mhara An Taoiseach

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