pucelle

From Anglo-Norman pucele, Middle French pucele, perhaps from a Late Latin *pullicella, but the further etymology is disputed.

• IPA^(key): /pʊˈsɛl/

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pucelle (plural pucelles)

1. (archaic) A girl, a maiden; a virgin (often with reference to Joan of Arc).
   • 1608 (at the earliest), Ben Jonson, letter to John Fletcher

     Lady or pucelle, that wears mask or fan.

   • 1976, Robert Nye, Falstaff:

     Seven weeks before, Joan of Arc had ridden into Orleans. She was at the height of her strange career.…‘Maid or Witch, Pucelle or Puzzell – she is very hard to understand.’

2. (obsolete) A prostitute, a slut.

Middle French pucelle < Old French pucele, first attested in the 10th century as pulcella, from Vulgar Latin *pūllicella, of disputed origin. Possibly a diminutive of Latin pullus (“young of animals, chick”), or pullus as a contraction of *purulus, from purus (“pure”). Alternatively from Latin puella (“girl”) through a Vulgar Latin root *puellicella.

• IPA^(key): /py.sɛl/

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pucelle f (plural pucelles, masculine puceau)

1. a maiden; a virgin

   Elle n'est plus pucelle. ― She's no longer a virgin.

   la Pucelle d'Orléans ― the Maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc

2. (military) Metal regulation badge worn on the chest with insignia indicating the formation to which it belongs

• “pucelle”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.