- vestal virgin
- noun Date: circa 1583 1. a virgin consecrated to the Roman goddess Vesta and to the service of watching the sacred fire perpetually kept burning on her altar 2. a chaste woman
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
vestal virgin
Look at other dictionaries:
vestal virgin — n. in ancient Rome, any of a small group of virgin priestesses of Vesta, who, sworn to remain chaste, tended the sacred fire in her temple … English World dictionary
Vestal Virgin — In Ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins ( sacerdos Vestalis ), were the virgin holy female priests of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth. Their primary task was to maintain the sacred fire of Vesta. The Vestal duty brought great honor and afforded… … Wikipedia
vestal virgin — noun a) a virgin dedicated to the service of the goddess Vesta b) a chaste woman … Wiktionary
vestal virgin — nun, virgin dedicated to the service of the Roman goddess Vesta … English contemporary dictionary
Vestal Virgin — noun (in ancient Rome) a virgin who was consecrated to the goddess Vesta and vowed to chastity … English new terms dictionary
vestal virgin — /vɛstl ˈvɜdʒən / (say vestl verjuhn) noun 1. (among the ancient Romans) one of the four, later six, virgins consecrated to Vesta and to the service of watching the sacred fire kept burning perpetually on her altar. 2. a virgin; a chaste,… …
vestal virgin — noun (Roman mythology) one of the virgin priestesses consecrated to the Roman goddess Vesta and to maintaining the sacred fire in her temple • Topics: ↑Roman mythology • Hypernyms: ↑votary • Hyponyms: ↑Rhea Silvia, ↑Rea Silvia … Useful english dictionary
vestal virgin — (in ancient Rome) one of four, later six, virgins consecrated to Vesta and to the tending of the sacred fire on her altar. [1400 50; late ME] * * * In Roman religion, any of six priestesses, representing the daughters of the royal house, who… … Universalium
vestal virgin — noun (C) a young unmarried woman who had duties in one of the ancient Roman temples … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
vestal virgin — ves′tal vir′gin n. myt (in ancient Rome) any of the women, pledged to remain virgins, who tended the sacred fire in Vesta s sanctuary • Etymology: 1400–50 … From formal English to slang
