Damsel | n. [ OE. damosel, damesel, damisel, damsel, fr. OF. damoisele, damisele, gentlewoman, F. demoiselle young lady; cf. OF. damoisel young nobleman, F. damoiseau; fr. LL. domicella, dominicella, fem., domicellus, dominicellus, masc., dim. fr. L. domina, dominus. See Dame, and cf. Demoiselle, Doncella. ] 1. A young person, either male or female, of noble or gentle extraction; as, Damsel Pepin; Damsel Richard, Prince of Wales. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ] 2. A young unmarried woman; a girl; a maiden. [ 1913 Webster ] With her train of damsels she was gone, In shady walks the scorching heat to shun. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ] Sometimes a troop of damsels glad, . . . Goes by to towered Camelot. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. (Milling) An attachment to a millstone spindle for shaking the hopper. [ 1913 Webster ] |