damsel Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a young unmarried woman
    damoiselle; damosel; demoiselle; damozel.

WordNet

Dam"sel noun
Etymology
OE. damosel, damesel, damisel, damsel, fr. OF. damoisele, damisele, gentlewoman, F. demoiselle young lady; cf. OF. damoisel young nobleman, F. damoiseau; fr. LL. domicella, dominicella, fem., domicellus, dominicellus, masc., dim. fr. L. domina, dominus. See Dame, and cf. Demoiselle, Doncella.
Definitions
  1. A young person, either male or female, of noble or gentle extraction; as, Damsel Pepin; Damsel Richard, Prince of Wales. Obs.
  2. A young unmarried woman; a gerl; a maiden.
    With her train of damsels she was gone, In shady walks the scorching heat to shum. Dryden.
    Sometimes a troop of damsels glad, . . . Goes by to towered Cameleot. Tennyson.
  3. (Milling) An attachment to a millstone spindle for shaking the hoppe.

Webster 1913