Dam"sel (?), n. [OE. damosel, damesel, damisel, damsel, fr. OF. damoisele, damisele, gentlewoman, F. demoiselle young lady; cf. OF. damoisel young nobleman, F. damoiseau; fr. LL. domicella, dominicella, fem., domicellus, dominicellus, masc., dim. fr. L. domina, dominus. See Dame, and cf. Demoiselle, Doncella.]
1. A young person, either male or female, of noble or gentle extraction; as, Damsel Pepin; Damsel Richard, Prince of Wales. [Obs.]
2. A young unmarried woman; a gerl; a maiden.
With her train of damsels she was gone,
In shady walks the scorching heat to shum.
Dryden.
Sometimes a troop of damsels glad, . . .
Goes by to towered Cameleot.
Tennyson.
3. Milling An attachment to a millstone spindle for shaking the hoppe.
© Webster 1913. | 
