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Added 4 October 2026

damsel

/ˈdæm.zəl/ noun

Latin root: domina Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about damsel at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A young woman (of noble birth).
A girl; a maiden (without sexual experience).
A young woman who is not married.

Origin

From Middle English dameisele, from Old French damoisele, from Vulgar Latin *domnicella, a diminutive from Classical Latin domina (“mistress, lady”), from dominus, from *demh₂-. Doublet of demoiselle, doncella, and donzella.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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