virgin
/ˈvəːdʒɪn
/noun
1A person who has never had sexual intercourse: she’s still a virgin...
- A myth in South Africa holds that sexual intercourse with a virgin can heal a man from HIV infection.
- Feldman et al. found that high school students who considered themselves virgins were nonetheless sexually active in ways that put them at risk for sexually transmitted disease.
- In the Aztec culture avocados were considered so sexually powerful that virgins weren't allowed to have contact with them.
Synonyms
maiden, unmarried girl, maid, vestal virgin, chaste woman, celibate;
Latin virgo intacta
literary vestal
1.1 (the Virgin) The mother of Jesus; the Virgin Mary.
1.2 (the Virgin) The zodiacal sign or constellation Virgo.
1.3 archaic A young unmarried woman: the parable of the wise and foolish virgins
2A person who is naive, innocent, or inexperienced in a particular context: he’s a political virgin...
- They are ordinary people who have never got involved in campaigns or protests, so in this sense they are political virgins.
- Political virgins coming together and finding a voice - I am already feeling more empowered and confident.
- But this does not entitle the party to pose as political and ethical virgins.
3 Entomology A female insect that produces eggs without being fertilized.This is not surprising because females were virgins and may have been predisposed to accept any mate because they required sperm....
- Female F 1 offspring of this cross were allowed to oviposit as virgins to produce the F 2 males for mapping.
- Misexpression screen for spontaneous ovulation level in virgins.
adjective
1 [attributive] Being, relating to, or appropriate for a virgin: his virgin bride...
- I recognise that sometimes children can come along before the marriage but to prance about in a white dress playing the virgin bride is a bit much.
- Do you feel that rockets bursting to impregnate the virgin sky are gender appropriate?
- The desert around Llano has been prepared like a virgin bride for its eventual union with the metropolis.
Synonyms
chaste, virginal, celibate, abstinent, self-restrained, self-denying;
unmarried, unwed, maiden, maidenly;
pure, pure as the driven snow, virtuous, uncorrupted, incorrupt, undefiled, unblemished, unsullied, innocent, sinless, moral, decent, demure
literary vestal
2Not yet used, exploited, or processed: acres of virgin forests...
- Large tracts of virgin forest play a role in global ecology comparable to rain forests.
- Because of the rapid consumption of virgin forests in places as far apart as Canada and Southeast Asia, forest restoration has not been able to keep pace with the demand for wood products.
- Recycling glass saves one-quarter to one-third the energy used for virgin materials.
Synonyms
untouched, unspoilt, untainted, untarnished, unadulterated, pure, immaculate, pristine, flawless;
unmarked, unblemished, spotless, stainless, unsullied, unpolluted, undefiled, unaffected, unchanged, intact, inviolate, preserved;
unused, in mint condition, perfect, in perfect condition;
unexplored, uncharted, unmapped
2.1(Of clay) not yet fired.
2.2(Of wool) not yet, or only once, spun or woven.The All Season Blanket is a mid-weight 100% virgin wool blanket woven in basket weave to add texture....
- It must be woven by hand in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, in the home of the weaver, using Scottish virgin wool that has been spun and dyed also in the Hebrides.
- Crafted from a blend of virgin wool, angora and polyamide, this classic pullover features a crew neckline and ribbed hemline.
2.3(Of olive oil) obtained from the first pressing of olives.Put all the veggie bits (except for about a third of the onions) in a large frying pan with a dash of virgin olive oil and a couple of teaspoons of the herbs and fry over a medium heat...
- When the vegetables have cooled, mix into a large serving bowl with the herbs, olive, a drizzle of virgin olive oil, some Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- A good choice is virgin olive oil, because it has not been heated, refined or bleached.
2.4(Of metal) made from ore by smelting: virgin aluminium...
- I peeled back the cover and exposed the glistening nakedness of the virgin steel.
- The casting had gone perfectly and the virgin silver, until now untouched by corroding air or water, gleamed like moonlight.
- When the composition limits restrict the use of scrap, the product is designated as primary or virgin casting alloy ingot.
Origin
Middle English: from Old French virgine, from Latin virgo, virgin-.