damsel
/ˈdæm.zəl/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.89 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A young woman (of noble birth).
noun
A girl; a maiden (without sexual experience).
noun
A young woman who is not married.
noun
noun
A young, attractive woman.
noun
A chattering damsel (component of a mill).
Example Sentences
- "And here I might (if I followed the example of most travellers) launch out into a glowing description of the charms of these damsels, the elegant costumes they wore, and the gold and silver ornaments with which they were adorned. The jacket or body of purple gauze would figure well in such a description, allowing the heaving bosom to be seen beneath it, while "sparkling eyes," and "jetty tresses," and "tiny feet" might be thrown in profusely. But, alas!"
- "The spout that conveys the grain from the hopper to the eye or centre of the upper millstone rests against the spindle, just at the damsel, and thus receives an alternate back and forward motion, […]"
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dem- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *dṓmder. Proto-Italic *domanos Latin dominus Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icus Latin dominicus Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -lus Latin -ellus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂ Proto-Italic *-ā Latin -a Vulgar Latin *dominicella Vulgar Latin *domnicella Old French domnizelle Old French damoiselebor. Middle English dameisele English damsel From Middle English dameisele, from Old French damoisele, from Vulgar Latin *domnicella, a diminutive from Classical Latin domina (“mistress, lady”), from dominus, from *demh₂-. Doublet of demoiselle, doncella, and donzella.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈdæm.zəl/
- British English: /ˈdæm.zəl/