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virgin

1. Being a virgin; chaste; of or pertaining to a virgin; becoming a virgin; maidenly; modest; indicating modesty; as, a virgin blush. Virgin shame. Innocence and virgin modesty . . . That would be wooed, and unsought be won. (milton)

2. Pure; undefiled; unmixed; fresh; new; as, virgin soil; virgin gold. Virgin dutch. The white cold virgin snow upon my heart. (Shak) A few ounces of mutton, with a little virgin oil. (Landor)

3. Not yet pregnant; impregnant.

1. A woman who has had no carnal knowledge of man; a maid.

2. A person of the male sex who has not known sexual indulgence. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. (rev. Xiv. 4) He his flesh hath overcome; He was a virgin, as he said. (Gower)

3. (Science: astronomy) See virgo.

4. (Science: zoology) Any one of several species of gossamer-winged butterflies of the family Lycaenidae.

5. (Science: zoology) A female insect producing eggs from which young are hatched, though there has been no fecundation by a male; a parthenogenetic insect. The Virgin, or The blessed Virgin, the Virgin Mary, the mother of our lord.

(Science: botany) Virgin's bower, a name given to several climbing plants of the genus Clematis, as C. Vitalba of Europe, and C. Virginiana of North America.

Origin: L. Virgo, -inis: cf. OF. Virgine, virgene, virge, vierge, F. Vierge.