maiden

The word “maiden” means describing the first occurrence of something, such as a journey, speech, or attempt. In plain terms, most often used today for a "first" of something (maiden voyage, maiden speech); as a noun for a young woman it now sounds old-fashioned or poetic.

“Maiden” is pronounced MAY-duhn (/ˈmeɪdən/ in IPA).

Here is “maiden” used in a sentence: “The ship set out on its maiden voyage to great fanfare.”

Words with a similar meaning to “maiden” include maidenly.

The opposite of “maiden” — its antonyms — is Master.

Depending on how it is used, “maiden” can be an adjective and a noun.

The word “maiden” comes from Old English. From Old English maegden, "girl", ultimately from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "girl" or "virgin".

“Maiden” is a fairly common word in modern English.

When used this way, maiden describes the first occurrence of something, such as a journey, speech, or attempt. A 'maiden voyage' is a ship's first official trip, and a 'maiden speech' is someone's first speech in a new role.

Maid usually refers to a woman employed for domestic work or, in older usage, a young unmarried woman, while maiden functions mainly as an adjective describing a first occurrence, or as an old-fashioned noun for a young unmarried woman. Their overlapping older sense means both can refer to an unmarried young woman, but maiden is more commonly used today as a descriptive adjective.

No, using maiden as a noun for an unmarried woman is now considered old-fashioned or literary rather than everyday modern usage. It survives mainly in phrases like 'maiden name,' referring to a woman's surname before marriage.