Spinster
A Dictionary of Law · William C. Anderson · 1889
A Dictionary of Law
A single or unmarried woman of mature years. Formerly used as a title or addition to the surname. The primitive meaning seems to have been ' ' spinner: ' ' the unmarried daughters who remained at home did the spinning, while the " wife " did the weaving. The termination "-ster"is for"-er," and signifies a female doer.