dam·sel

[dam-zuhl]
noun Literary.
a young woman or girl; a maiden, originally one of gentle or noble birth.

Origin:
1150–1200; Middle English damisel < Anglo-French (Old French damoisele) < Vulgar Latin *dominicella, equivalent to Latin domin(a) lady (see dame) + -i- -i- + -cella feminine diminutive suffix

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World English Dictionary
damsel (ˈdæmzəl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
archaic, poetic or a young unmarried woman; maiden
 
[C13: from Old French damoisele, from Vulgar Latin domnicella (unattested) young lady, from Latin domina mistress; see dame]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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00:10
Damsel is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

damsel
1199, from O.Fr. dameisele, modified by association with dame from earlier donsele, from Gallo-Romance *domnicella, dim. of L. domina "lady" (see dame). Archaic until revived by romantic poets, along with 16c.-17c. variant form damozel.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
For hooking trout, the lures that seem to work here are any flies that resemble a dry damsel fly.
Many dragonflies and damsel flies inhabit the shallow warm water present.
It may not be wrong to describe democracy as a vulnerable damsel, needing constant protection of a watchful eye.
He helps a village full of delinquent unicorns, rescues an uncooperative damsel, and finds a husband for a princess.
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