Emily Dickinson Lexicon

MAID, or MAID-EN, n. [Sax. mægth, from mæg, a general name of relation, man, boy, or woman; Goth. magath; D. maagd; G. magd; Ir. mogh, a man; Sp. mozo, a manservant, a bachelor; moza, a maid; Port. macho, a male; Russ. muj. It coincides in elements with Sax. magan, to be able, Eng. may.]

1. An unmarried woman, or a young unmarried woman; a virgin.
2. A female servant. Dryden.
3. It is used in composition, to express the feminine gender, as in maid-servant.