ˈvə:dʒɪn n. & adj. --n. 1 a
person (esp. a woman)
who has never had sexual intercourse. 2 a (the Virgin) Christ's
mother the Blessed Virgin Mary. b a
picture or
statue of the Virgin. 3 (the Virgin) the
zodiacal sign or
constellation Virgo. 4 colloq. a
naìve,
innocent, or inexperienced person (a
political virgin). 5 a
member of
any order of
women under a
vow to
remain virgins. 6 a
female insect producing eggs
without impregnation. --adj. 1
that is a virgin. 2 of or befitting a virgin (virgin modesty). 3
not yet used, penetrated, or
tried (virgin soil). 4
undefiled,
spotless. 5 (of clay) not fired. 6 (of metal)
made from ore by smelting. 7 (of wool) not yet, or
only once,
spun or
woven. 8 (of an insect) producing eggs without impregnation. øvirgin
birth 1 the
doctrine of Christ's birth without a
human father. 2
parthenogenesis. virgin
comb a
honeycomb that has
been used only once
for honey and never for
brood. virgin
forest a forest in
its untouched natural state. virgin honey honey taken from a virgin comb, or drained from the comb without
heat or
pressure. virgin
queen an
unfertilized queen
bee. the Virgin Queen Queen Elizabeth I of England. virgin's bower a
clematis, Clematis viticella. øøvirginhood n. [ME f. AF & OF virgine f. L virgo -ginis]
