old maids

Noun

old maid (countable and uncountable, plural old maids)

1. (derogatory) An old woman who has never married; a spinster.
   • If she is looking for the perfect man before she marries, she'll be an old maid.

   Synonyms:

   spinster

2. The Madagascar periwinkle.
   • The following are the only hardy species grown, but V. rosea, with rosy or white flowers, is a pretty greenhouse plant known as ' Old Maid ' or ' Madagascar Periwinkle'.1901, John Weathers, A Practical Guide to Garden Plants
3. The common zinnia.
   • Zinnias are sometimes known as "Old Maids" in the South.1989, William C. Welch, Perennial Garden Color, page 247
4. An unpopped kernel in a batch of popped popcorn kernels.
   • Crawford asked Congress to double funding for the FDA's $200 million old-maid-elimination research project.2004 April 29 – May 5, "Unpopped Kernels Costing U.S. Billions", The Onion, available in Embedded in America, →ISBN, page 147
5. (uncountable) A card game in which cards must be paired and one unmatchable card is designated "old maid".
6. The unmatchable card in that game.

See all 8 meanings of old maid