# damsel

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈdæm.zəl/ · frequency rank #33,195

## Definitions
1. A young woman (of noble birth).
2. A girl; a maiden (without sexual experience).
3. A young woman who is not married.
4. An unmarried lady-in-waiting.
5. A chattering damsel (component of a mill).

## Etymology
From Middle English dameisele, from Old French damoisele, from Vulgar Latin *domnicella, a diminutive from Classical Latin domina (“mistress, lady”), from dominus, from *demh₂-. Doublet of demoiselle, doncella, and donzella.

## Easily confused with
- **Daniel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damsel-vs-daniel)
- **diesel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damsel-vs-diesel)
- **dame** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dame-vs-damsel)
- **dams** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dams-vs-damsel)
- **dames** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dames-vs-damsel)
- **damned** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damned-vs-damsel)
- **damper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/damper-vs-damsel)
- **dampen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dampen-vs-damsel)

## Common misspellings (9)
`admsel`, `damesl`, `dammsel`, `damsell`, `damsle`, `damssel`, `dasmel`, `ddamsel`, `dmasel`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/damsel