Virginal
adj, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 A musical instrument in the harpsichord family.
"His uncle, a Cardinal, engages a Spanish youth of Moorish descent called Diego, an expert singer and player on the virginal, to unlock the secrets of the heart, and to cleanse his bosom of the perilous stuff, and cure him by the spell of his music."
- 2 a legless rectangular harpsichord; played (usually by women) in the 16th and 17th centuries wordnet
- 1 Being or resembling a virgin.
- 2 Uncontaminated or pure.
- 3 Parthenogenic.
- 1 in a state of sexual virginity wordnet
- 2 untouched or undefiled wordnet
- 3 characteristic of a virgin or virginity wordnet
Example
More examples"His uncle, a Cardinal, engages a Spanish youth of Moorish descent called Diego, an expert singer and player on the virginal, to unlock the secrets of the heart, and to cleanse his bosom of the perilous stuff, and cure him by the spell of his music."
Etymology
From Middle English virginal, from Middle French virginal, from Latin virginālis. The musical instrument is probably so called from being played by young girls.
Related phrases
More for "virginal"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.