Spinster

Pronunciation: /ˈspɪnstər/

Definitions of spinster

noun A woman who is not married, especially one who is no longer young and seems unlikely ever to marry.

Example Sentences

A1 She is a spinster who lives alone with her cat.

A2 The spinster next door is always baking delicious treats for us.

B1 The novel features a strong-willed spinster who defies societal expectations.

B2 The spinster inherited a large fortune from her late uncle.

C1 The spinster's independent spirit and intelligence were admired by all who knew her.

C2 Despite being labeled a spinster by society, she lived a fulfilling and happy life on her own terms.

Examples of spinster in a Sentence

formal The spinster lived alone in her quaint cottage on the edge of town.

informal My aunt is a spinster but she doesn't mind being single.

slang People used to call her the 'old maid' but she prefers the term spinster.

figurative In a world full of relationships, she was seen as a spinster of independence.

Grammatical Forms of spinster

• past tense: spunster
• plural: spinsters
• comparative: more spinster
• superlative: most spinster
• present tense: spinster
• future tense: will spinster
• perfect tense: have spunster
• continuous tense: is spinstering
• singular: spinster
• positive degree: spinster
• infinitive: to spinster
• gerund: spinstering
• participle: spinning

Origin and Evolution of spinster

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'spinster' originated in medieval England, where unmarried women were often tasked with spinning yarn or thread as a means of earning a living.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the term 'spinster' evolved from simply referring to an unmarried woman to also carrying connotations of being past the typical age of marriage and potentially being undesirable as a partner.