spinster
An older woman who has never married.
[C] Countable
pl: spinsters
This term carries a heavy social stigma, often evoking an image of a lonely, rigid, or socially isolated woman who has been passed over by marriage. It suggests a sense of permanence and a lack of romantic prospects, frequently colored by negative stereotypes of bitterness or eccentricity.
While it originated from the literal occupation of spinning thread, the modern usage is largely derogatory or archaic. In contemporary settings, it is often replaced by more neutral terms like single woman, though it persists in literature to signal a specific social status or a level of independence born from necessity.
Used to describe a specific individual who fits the social category of an unmarried woman.