mai an (mayan)

and n. [ form of maiden (see maiden ), partly from earlier ME. mazth , mægth (= OS. magath, magadh, Flowering Plant of Mai an the mum magad = OFries. me- gith, megeth, maged = D. meid , maagd MLG. maget , LG. magd OHG. magad , macad , MHG. maget, me it, G. magd , maid = Goth. magaths ), a maid, virgin, a fem. form with formative -th , equiv. to mæg , mæge, E. may3, maid, fem. cor- responding to magu , a son, māg , a kinsman, E. may2: see may2, may3.] 1. A young unmar- ried woman; a girl; specifically, a girl of mar- riageable age, but applied, usually with little or some other qualifying term, to a female child of any age above infancy: as, a maid , or a little maid , of ten summers. But communed only with the little maid, Who pleased her with a babbling heedle ne Which often lured her from herself. All you that see her, that she were a maid , By these exterior shows? But she is none. IMG:content-0089.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-0090.png:[blocks in formation] or for amusements of all sorts, but especially for military exercises, horsemanship, and horse- races. Sometimes spelled meidan . maid-child (mād'child), n. A female child; a girl. [Rare.] A maid - child call'd Marina. Shak., Pericles, v. 3. 6. maiden (mā'dn), n. and a. [ mazden , magatin , mageti, MHG. magetin, ma- ged in, me get in, megedin , me itīn ), a maiden, with fem. formative -en (see -en4), mægeth , a maid: see maid .] I. n. 1. A maid, in any sense of that word. See maid . Of bod i was he mayden clene. This synne cometh ofte to hem that been may denes , and Poly tri chum commune , sometimes made into brushes and eek to hem that been corrupt. O I'll go tak the bride's maidens, And we'll go tak a dance. Fair Janet (Child's Ballads, II. 91). 2. An animal or a thing that is young, new, inexperienced, untried, or untaken. Specifically stela) In racing , a horse that has never won race cricket, an over in which no runs are made. See over. 3. The last handful of corn cut down by the reapers on a farm. It is dre ed up with rib- bons. [Scotch.] -4. A wisp of straw put into a hoop of iron, used by a blacksmith in water- ing his fire. Jamie son. [Scotch.]-5. An in- maidenhair-gra , n. maidenhair-tree (mā'dn-har-trē), n. The gingko (which see), so called from the resemblance of its leaves to the pin- nules of the maiden- hair fern. Although but one species, Ginkgo biloba , now exists, it was once a very abundant form, and is traceable to the Jura ic and even further back, a large number of fo il species being known, usually with the leaves much IMG:content-0091.png:[blocks in formation] And when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. Ex. ii. 5. She's called upon her maids by seven, To mak his bed baith saft and even. She had no maids to stand Gold-clothed on either hand. When fishy Stalls with double Store are laid: The golden belly'd Carp, the broad-finn'd Maid. Now, by my maiden honour, yet as pure As the unsullied lily, I protest. By my troth and maidenhead , I would not be a queen. Indeed I knew Of no more subtle master under heaven Than is the maiden pa ion for a maid, Not only to keep down the base in man, But teach high thought. Tennyson, Guinevere. 4. Young; fresh; new; hitherto untried or unused; unsullied; unstained. Full bravely hast thou flesh'd Thy maiden sword. Shak ., 1 Hen. IV., v. 4. 133. A due proportion of maiden -i. e. pure-chlorine, and "spent" gas-gas mixed with steam - should be used. Spons' Encyc. Manuf ., I. 460. Maiden a ize, an a ize of a court for the trial of crim- inals in Great Britain at which there are no criminal cases to be tried. In the eighteenth century and prev i- ously the name was given to any a ize at which no person was condemned to die. It is usual at such a izes to pre- sent the judge with a pair of white gloves. - Maiden bat- tle, a first contest. IMG:content-0092.png:[blocks in formation] Maiden duck. See duck2 . - Maiden fortre , a fortre that has never been captured. - Maiden handt, a hand as yet unstained with blood. This hand of mine Is yet a maiden and an innocent hand , Not painted with the crimson spots of blood. Shak ., K. John, iv. 2. 252. family woman be- over, in cricket , an over in which no runs are made. See over.-Maiden speech, one's first speech; especially, the first speech of a new member in a public body, as the House of Commons. - Maiden stakes, in horse- racing , the money contended for in a race between young horses that have never run before. - Maiden strewmentst, flowers and evergreens strewed in the path of a young couple on their way to church to be married, or on the And, for the modest love of maidenhood Bids me not sojourn with these armed men, "Oh, whither shall I fly? Fairfax , tr. of Ta o. The ireful bastard Orleans - that drew blood From thee, my boy, and had the maidenhood Of thy first fight-I soon encountered. maiden-like (mā'dn-lik), a. Like a maid; mod- est. maidenline (mā'dn-li-nes), n. The quality of being maidenly; behavior that becomes a maid; modesty; gentlene . maidenly (ma'dn-li), a. [ maiden + -ly1.] Like a maid; gentle; modest; reserved. Lyke to Aryna, maydenly of porte. Skelton , Garland of Laurel, 1. 865. What a maidenly man-at-arms are you become! Shak., 2 Hen. IV., ii. 2. 82. maidenly (ma'dn-li), adv . [ maiden + -ly2 .] In a maiden-like manner; modestly; gently. [Rare.] maiden-meek (mā'dn-mek), a. Meek as be- comes or is natural to a maiden. I was courteous, every phrase well oil'd As man's could be; yet, maiden - meek , I pray'd Concealment. Tennyson, Prince , iii. IMG:content-0093.png:[blocks in formation] About Michael ma all the hedges about Thick wood (in the parish Colerne) are (as it were) hung with mayden's honesty, which lookes very fine. Aubrey's Wilts , MS . Royal Soc ., p. 120. ( Hall i well .) maiden-skate (mā'dn-skāt), n. Same as maid, 5 (b). maiden-tongued (ma'dn-tungd), a. voiced and gentle in speech as a girl. His qualities were beauteous as his form, For maiden - tongued he was. Sweet Cesario, by the roses of the spring, By maidhood , honour, truth, and everything, I love thee. n. O cowards all, and maydly men, Of courage faynt and weake. IMG:content-0094.png:[blocks in formation] were unsound.