old maid

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old maid

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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.

2. The Madagascar periwinkle.
   • 1901, John Weathers, A Practical Guide to Garden Plants::

     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'.

   • 1915, Trinidad. Dept. of Agriculture, Bulletin - Volumes 14-21, page 21:

     Vincas — Old Maids or Periwinkles, often serve a useful purpose as edgings or ground work to beds or borders.

   • 1947, Olive Percival, Our old-fashioned flowers, page 187:

     Old Maids, Vinca rosea

   • 1975, William Goyen, The Collected Stories of William Goyen, page 158:

     They would bring potted plants and ferns and seeds for old-maids and periwinkles.

   • 2004, African Entomology: Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa:

     Here I show that Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don f. (Apocynaceae), known as Old Maid or Madagascar periwinkle, has floral nectaries that combine both functions.

3. The common zinnia.
   • 1989, William C. Welch, Perennial Garden Color, page 247:

     Zinnias are sometimes known as "Old Maids" in the South.

   • 1868, The New England Farmer - Volume 2, page 347:

     Of annuals: Sweet Alyssum, Amaranthus — Prince's Feather, and Love lies bleeding, Celosia— Cock's comb; Asters, Callistephus— China and German Asters, Centaurea, Bachelor's Button, Clarkia Coreopsis, Datura, Escholzia, Hibuiscus— Rose Mallow, Iberis— Candy tuft, Impatiens— Balsam, Lavatera, Lupin, Mimosa, Mirabilis, Four o'clock— Marvel of Peru, Nigella— Love-in-a-mist— Jack in the Bush, Portulaca, Petunia, Reseda Odorata— Mignouette, Scabiosa— Mouring Bride, Silene— Catchfly, Calendula— Pot Marigold, Tagetes — French Marigold, and African do, Papaver — Poppy, and Zinnia — Old maids.

   • 1981, The West Texas Historical Association Year Book - Volume 57, page 79:

     Among the flowers commonly grown were holly hocks, phlox, four o'clocks, bouncing betty, lantanas, the hardy flagg, now known as iris, zinnias, commonly called old maids, beds of chrysanthemums, periwinkle, lady slippers, blue bonnets, lark spur, prim rose, little wild yellow rose, climbing yellow rose, and single petal red rose.

   • 2006, Anne Hart, 102 Ways to Apply Career Training in Family History/Genealogy, →ISBN:

     Décor featured a centerpiece at the old maid's party—the old maid flower, a zinnia.

   • 2011, Susan Haltom, Jane Roy Brown, One Writer’s Garden: Eudora Welty’s Home Place, →ISBN, page 101:

     If the children are at home, the front yard, creeping unsodded from beneath the porch, is naked and clean. If the children are grown ..., verbena, old maids [zinnias], phlox, and four-o'clocks, crowd each together for space

   • 2011, William C. Welch, Greg Grant, Heirloom Gardening in the South: Yesterday's Plants for Today's Gardens, →ISBN:

     Zinnia elegans: Common Zinnia, Old-Maids Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower) Size: 1–4 ft Zones: NA Warm-season annual Summer flowers in all colors

4. An unpopped kernel in a batch of popped popcorn kernels.
   • 2004 April 29 – May 5, "Unpopped Kernels Costing U.S. Billions", The Onion, available in Embedded in America, →ISBN, page 147,

     Crawford asked Congress to double funding for the FDA's $200 million old-maid-elimination research project.

5. (uncountable) A card game in which cards must be paired and one undesirable card is designated "old maid".
6. The unmatchable card in that game.

• (old unmarried woman): spinster

• Old Maid

• lamdoid, miladdo