virgin

n. & adj.
—n.
1 a person (esp. a woman) who has never had sexual intercourse.
2 a (the Virgin) Christ's mother the Blessed Virgin Mary. b a picture or statue of the Virgin.
3 (the Virgin) the zodiacal sign or constellation Virgo.
4 colloq. a naiumlve, innocent, or inexperienced person (a political virgin).
5 a member of any order of women under a vow to remain virgins.
6 a female insect producing eggs without impregnation.
—adj.
1 that is a virgin.
2 of or befitting a virgin (virgin modesty).
3 not yet used, penetrated, or tried (virgin soil).
4 undefiled, spotless.
5 (of clay) not fired.
6 (of metal) made from ore by smelting.
7 (of wool) not yet, or only once, spun or woven.
8 (of an insect) producing eggs without impregnation.
Phrases and idioms:
virgin birth
1 the doctrine of Christ's birth without a human father.
2 parthenogenesis. virgin comb a honeycomb that has been used only once for honey and never for brood. virgin forest a forest in its untouched natural state. virgin honey honey taken from a virgin comb, or drained from the comb without heat or pressure. virgin queen an unfertilized queen bee. the Virgin Queen Queen Elizabeth I of England. virgin's bower a clematis, Clematis viticella.
Derivatives:
virginhood n.
Etymology: ME f. AF & OF virgine f. L virgo -ginis