vestal
English
Etymology
From Latin Vesta, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wes-. More at was.
Pronunciation
- enPR: vĕs'təl, IPA(key): /ˈvɛs.t(ə)l/
- Rhymes: -ɛstəl
Adjective
vestal (not comparable)
- Of or pertaining to Vesta, the virgin goddess of the hearth.
- Pure; chaste.
- 1820, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Oedipus Tyrannus; Or, Swellfoot The Tyrant: A Tragedy in Two Acts:
- Does money fail?—come to my mint—coin paper,
Till gold be at a discount, and ashamed
To show his bilious face, go purge himself,
In emulation of her vestal whiteness.
- Does money fail?—come to my mint—coin paper,
- 1820, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Oedipus Tyrannus; Or, Swellfoot The Tyrant: A Tragedy in Two Acts:
Translations
of or pertaining to Vesta
|
pure; chaste
|
Noun
vestal (plural vestals)
- A virgin consecrated to Vesta, and to the service of watching the sacred fire, which was to be perpetually kept burning upon her altar; a vestal virgin.
- A female virgin; a woman who has never had sexual relations.
- A nun.
Translations
virgin consecrated to Vesta — see vestal virgin
female virgin
|
nun
|
Anagrams
- St Eval, lavest, valets
Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /besˈtal/ [besˈt̪al]
- Rhymes: -al
- Syllabification: ves‧tal
Adjective
vestal (plural vestales)
- vestal (of or relating to Vesta)
- vestal (pure, chaste)
Noun
vestal f (plural vestales)
- vestal (virgin)
Further reading
- “vestal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014