▪ I. virginal, n.
(ˈvɜːdʒɪnəl)
Forms: 6 virginalles, -ynal(le)s, 6–7 virginall(s, 6– virginal(s, 7–8 virginelles.
[App. of the same formation as virginal a., but the reason for the name is obscure.]
1. A keyed musical instrument (common in England in the 16th and 17th centuries), resembling a spinet, but set in a box or case without legs. a. In plural form, applied to a single instrument.
| 1530 Palsgr. 711/1 Set my virgynalles, entonnez mes espinettes. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII, 8 Exercisyng hym self dayly in..plaiyng at the recorders, flute, virginals, and in setting of songes. 1591 Florio 2nd Fruites 129 He plaies also upon the cittarn, virginals, violine and flute. 1601 B. Jonson Ev. Man in Hum. (Q.) ii. iii. 161, I can compare him to nothing more happely, then a Barbers virginals; for euery one may play vpon him. 1660 Pepys Diary 8 Dec., Her daughter played after dinner upon the virginals. 1662 Playford Skill Mus. i. i. 4 But Lessons for the Organ, Virginals, or Harp, two staves of six lines together are required. 1710 J. Chein in E. Dunbar Soc. Life (1865) 15, I can..play on the Treble and Gambo, Viol, Virginelles and Manicords. 1786 Lounger (1787) II. 192, I could play pretty well on the Virginals at home. 1823 Roscoe tr. Sismondi's Lit. Eur. (1846) I. v. 128 The claricord was a sort of spinet resembling the virginals. 1841 Barham Ingol. Leg. Ser. ii. Nell Cook, And fine upon the virginals is that gay Lady's touch. 1873 Dixon Two Queens xii. iii. II. 298 Himself a player on the virginals and organ. |
b. a pair of virginals, in the same sense. (
Cf. pair n.1 6.)
| 1542 Test. Ebor. (Surtees) VI. 159 A paire of virginals. 1545 Lanc. Wills (Chetham Soc.) II. 67 My best paire of virginalls. 1630 Dekker 2nd Pt. Honest Wh. H iv, No, for she's like a paire of Virginals, Alwaies with Iackes at her taile. 1666 Pepys Diary 2 Sept., Hardly one lighter or boat in three that had the goods of a house in, but there was a pair of Virginalls in it. 1684 Bunyan Pilgr. ii. 93 The Dining-Room, where stood a pair of excellent Virginals. 1755 J. Collier (Tim Bobbin) Let. Wks. (1775) 177 You know I have a pair of rusty old Virginals in a Corner of the School, which have about eight Strings left out of forty-five. |
c. As a singular, with plural denoting more than one instrument.
The plural use (
a)
prob. preceded the singular.
| (a) 1566 Sternhold & Hopkins Ps. cl. 14 Praise him with Tymbrell and with flute, orgaines and virginals. 1598 Sylvester Du Bartas ii. i. Handycrafts 567 Wiery Cymbals, Rebecks sinnews twin'd, Sweet Virginals, and Cornets curled winde. 1630 R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 187 Those [teeth] that are left, leaping in their heads, like Iacks in Virginals. 1644 Digby Nat. Bodies vii. (1658) 57 Artificial musical instruments (as organs and virginals that playd by themselves). 1694 Patent Specif. (1856) No. 337. 1 Harpsichords, virginalls or the like. 1833 H. Martineau Three Ages i. 7 Large and airy study..ornamented with books, manuscripts, maps, viols, virginals, and other musical instruments. |
| (b) 1570 Levins Manip. 15 Virginall, cymbala. 1597 Breton Wit's Trenchmour Wks. (Grosart) II. 14/1 Let me euer loue musicke, though I cannot tune a virginall. 1625 Gill Sacr. Philos. ii. 188 In an Organ or Virginall, all manner of tunes, all concords, and discords are, which are possible to bee made or conceived by any Musician. 1667 Pepys Diary 23 Jan., He and I did see the organ, but I do not like it, it being but a bauble, with a virginal joining to it. 1694 Phil. Trans. XVIII. 73 He shews the best way how to have an Organ or Virginal tuned. 1709 Addison Tatler No. 157 ¶8 That ancient serious Matron-like Instrument the Virginal. 1789 Burney Hist. Mus. III. i. 5 note, The Virginal is a keyed instrument of one string, jack, and quill, to each note, like a spinet. 1843 Penny Cycl. XXVI. 360/2 The compass of the virginal was from the second added line below the base to the second added line above the treble—or four octaves. 1889 Brinsmead Hist. Pianoforte 91 The instrument which gradually superseded the clavichord in England was the virginal. |
| transf. 1593 Harvey New Lett. Wks. (Grosart) I. 266 Is not the Verse of M. Spencer in his braue Faery Queene, the Virginall of the diuinest Muses, and gentlest Graces? |
2. attrib. and
Comb., as
virginal book,
virginal jack (
Jack n.1 14),
virginal-maker,
virginal master,
virginal music,
virginal music-book,
virginal string,
virginal wire.
| 1663 Pepys Diary 16 Mar., Thence home by coach, buying at the Temple the printed *virginall-book for her. |
| 1604 *Virginal jack [see Jack n.1 14]. 1622 F. Markham Bk. War iv. vii. 146 Men should not like virginall Iacks be skipping up here and there, and in every corner. c 1638 G. Plattes in Worlidge Syst. Agric. (1669) iv. §6. 44 These may be made to play up and down like Virginal Jacks. |
| 1551 Acts Privy Counc. (1891) III. 306 Robert Gundet of Westminster, *virginall maker. c 1580 Munday View Sundry Examples (Shaks. Soc.) 93 A Virginal maker that came to look Ravens quils found the man slain. |
| 1640 in Sir C. Sharp Chron. Mirab. (1841) 44 Thomas Forcer, *Virginall master. |
| 1874 Ouseley Musical Form 48 It was very commonly employed three hundred years ago for *virginal music. |
| 1889 Brinsmead Hist. Pianoforte 93 Queen Elizabeth must..have performed music that would be considered exceedingly difficult even now, if she really played the pieces that are in her *virginal music-book. |
| 1626 Bacon Sylva §13 The sound of a *Virginall String, as soone as the Quill of the Jack falleth from it, stoppeth. 1743 Emerson Fluxions 265, I took a virginal String 29..Inches long. |
| 1662 Ireland, Stat. at Large (1765) II. 418 *Virginal and ghittern wire, the pound, 4l. 1698 Phil. Trans. XX. 433 It was a Piece of small Virginal Wire. 1812 J. Smyth Pract. of Customs (1821) 279, 1 Cask, 63 lbs. Brass Virginal Wire. |
Hence
† ˈvirginal v. intr., to tap with the fingers as on a virginal.
Obs.—1| 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. i. ii. 124 To be padling Palmes, and pinching Fingers,..Still Virginalling Vpon his Palme? |
▪ II. virginal, a. (
ˈvɜːdʒɪnəl)
Forms: 5–
virginal (5
-alle,
-el,
-ele), 6–7
virginall (6
-eall); 5
virgynal, 5–6
-all, 6
vyrginall; 5
vyrgynal, 5–6
-all.
[a. OF. (also mod.F.) virginal (= Sp. and Pg. virginal, It. virginale), or ad. L. virgināl-is, f. virgin-, virgo: see virgin n. and -al1.] 1. Of or pertaining to a virgin or to virginity.
| 14.. in Tundale's Vis. (1843) 129 For of hur wombe the cloysture vyrgynall Euer was lyke bothe fyrst and last Closed and schytt as castell principall. c 1440 J. Capgrave Life St. Kath. v. 1314 He hath stodied with al herte and meende Thi virgynal body to destroye and shende. 1513 Bradshaw St. Werburge i. 2973 In the vyrgynall wombe of blessed marye. 1579 Fulke Heskins' Parl. 170 The Virginall bowels of his vndefiled mother. 1592 R. D. Hypnerotomachia 78 This honourable Nymph had her virgineall..body covered with a.. stuffe of greene silke. 1612 Field Woman's a Weathercock iii. ii. in Hazl. Dodsley II. 53 And thy Bellafront presents herself, Lav'd in a bath of contrite virginal tears. 1650 Jer. Taylor Holy Living 395 The load was too great, and did sink thy tender and virginal body to the earth. 1721 R. Keith tr. T. à Kempis, Solil. Soul xxii. 294 Thanks also be to holy Mary thy Mother, from whose virginal Flesh thou didst take the holy Members of thy Body. 1846 Landor Imag. Conv. Wks. I. 537/1 Can the calmest face,..or can the most virginal apron, do away with or cover this? 1854 Card. Wiseman Fabiola (1855) 201 One..whose brides never put off their virginal wreaths. 1878 H. M. Stanley Dark Cont. I. xv. 400 They are all comely and brown, with fine virginal bosoms. |
b. virginal generation, parthenogenesis.
| 1879 tr. Haeckel's Evol. Man I. ii. 28 The so-called parthenogenesis, or virginal generation, of Bees. |
2. Of qualities, actions, etc.: Proper to, characteristic of, a virgin.
| c 1411 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 3584 O humble maide! who is it þat can The debonaire humblesse tellen al, Restynge in þy clennesse virginal? 1483 Caxton Gold Leg. 195 b/1 There ben twelue vertues vyrgynal..wyth out whiche no vyrgyne may be agreeable to god. 1493 Petronilla 58 (Pynson), She fulfylled his byddynge in certeyn Withoute grutchinge of virgynall mekenesse. a 1529 Skelton Replyc. 32 Whiche is the most clere christall Of all pure clennesse virgynall. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. ix. 20 Gentle court and gracious delight She to them made, with mildnesse virginall. 1608 Shakes. Per. iv. vi. 62 Without any more virginal fencing, will you use him kindly? 1627 Donne Serm. Wks. 1839 V. 613 Where is that Soul?.. Is it come back in the virginal integrity in which I made it? 1640 Bp. Hall Christian Moderation i. §8. 76 Virginall chastity is a grace worthy of our fervent prayers, worthy of our best endeavors. 1850 Kingsley A. Locke i, No foundlings educated in a nunnery ever grew up in a more virginal and spotless innocence. 1873 Doran Lady of last Cent. iii. 73 The..affected virginal coyness with which [she]..received..their rather audacious gallantry. 1891 Farrar Darkn. & Dawn xxx, That beautiful mixture of manly courage and virginal modesty. |
| transf. 1862 S. Lucas Secularia 133 Many..were privileged to behold the West in all its virginal freshness and splendour. 1868 J. H. Newman Verses Var. Occas. 271 He lifts his hands, there issues forth A fragrance virginal and rare. |
3. Of persons: Continuing in a state of virginity; having the chastity or purity of a virgin.
| 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 99 b/2 The vyrgynal companye of thynnocentes. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxxxv. 79 Bricht ball cristall, ross virginall,..Aue Maria. a 1513 Fabyan Chron. i. xxvii. 19 Most virgynall flour, of al most excellent. 1546 Bale Eng. Votaries i. (1550) 5 Ye shall easely perceyve by their actes, that these virginall votaries hath bene the verye Angels of darkenessse. 1567 Abp. Parker Corr. (Parker Soc.) 304, I would it were indifferently credited to understand, whether the married sort or the virginal pastors had done most spoil to the church. 1867 E. F. Bowden Fathers of Desert 267 O Virginal Mother, arouse my soul to penance and guide me to the way of salvation. 1886 W. Alexander St. Aug. Holiday 14 Such virgin gifts for spirits virginal. 1905 G. Thorne Lost Cause xii, She was pure but not virginal in temperament. |
4. transf. Fresh, pure, unsullied, untouched.
| a 1659 Osborn Observ. Turks Wks. (1673) 344 Learning..resembling dead Honey, which is stale, coorse, and less useful, none being pure and Virginal, but what is sucked from every Flower that may be found in the wild Field of a general Commerce. [1767 A. Campbell Lexiph. 1 A novel exhibition which is purely virginal.] 1811 W. R. Spencer Poems 152 Shall the earth, 'mid the roses of June, May's virginal violets scorn? 1866 M. Arnold Empedocles i. ii, The grass is cool, the seaside air Buoyant and fresh, the mountain flowers More virginal and sweet than ours. 1889 Jos. Thomson Trav. Morocco 24 From no point of view..does Tangier look so beautiful and virginal..as from this particular gateway. |