damsel
NounWordNet 3.0
Noun (1)
- a young unmarried womanSynonyms: demoiselledamoiselledamoseldamozel
Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)
Damsel \Dam"sel\ (d[a^]m"z[e^]l), n. [OE. damosel, damesel, damisel, damsel, fr. OF. damoisele, damisele, gentlewoman, F. demoiselle young lady; cf. OF. damoisel young nobleman, F. damoiseau; fr. LL. domicella, dominicella, fem., domicellus, dominicellus, masc., dim. fr. L. domina, dominus. See Dame, and cf. Demoiselle, Doncella.]
1.A young person, either male or female, of noble or gentle extraction; as, Damsel Pepin; Damsel Richard, Prince of Wales. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
2.A young unmarried woman; a girl; a maiden. [1913 Webster]
With her train of damsels she was gone, In shady walks the scorching heat to shun.— Dryden.[1913 Webster]
Sometimes a troop of damsels glad, . . . Goes by to towered Camelot.— Tennyson.[1913 Webster]
3.(Milling) An attachment to a millstone spindle for shaking the hopper. [1913 Webster]