Vestal

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Vestal \Ves"tal\, a. [L. Vestalis belonging to Vesta, vestal.
     See {Vesta}.]
     Of or pertaining to Vesta, the virgin goddess of the hearth;
     hence, pure; chaste.
     [1913 Webster]



From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Vestal \Ves"tal\, n. [L. Vestalis (sc. virgo): cf. F. vestale.
     See {Vestal}, a.]
     1. (Rom. Antiq.) A virgin consecrated to Vesta, and to the
        service of watching the sacred fire, which was to be
        perpetually kept burning upon her altar.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The Vestals were originally four, but afterward six, in
           number. Their term of service lasted thirty years, the
           period of admission being from the sixth to the tenth
           year of the candidate's age.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A virgin; a woman pure and chaste; also, a nun.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! --Pope.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  vestal
       adj 1: of or relating to Vesta; "vestal virgin"
       2: in a state of sexual virginity; "pure and vestal modesty";
          "a spinster or virgin lady"; "men have decreed that their
          women must be pure and virginal" [syn: {pure}, {virgin}, {virginal},
           {virtuous}]
       n : a chaste woman

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  19 Moby Thesaurus words for "vestal":
     Platonic, abstinent, bachelor girl, celibate, continent, feme sole,
     intact, lone woman, maid, maiden, maiden lady, maidenly, old maid,
     single girl, spinster, spinstress, vestal virgin, virgin,
     virginal
  
  

From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:

  Vestal, NY
    Zip code(s): 13850