Definition of "maid of honor" [maid of honor]

• The chief unmarried woman attendant of a bride. (noun)
• An unmarried noblewoman attendant upon a queen or princess. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The president, Mme. de Denterghen, is maid of honor to the Queen; the other officers and members of the committee are all women whose high positions have enabled them to gather together the very valuable collection which is installed in that section of the"
• "Before him stood Tufik's sister, the maid of honor with her baby, the black-mustached friend who had brought Tufik to us after his tragic attempt at suicide, and Tufik himself."
• "At the time, the other girl—who would have worn the honeysuckle-hued maid of honor dress but not sleeveless; that would be tacky on a plump girl—thought this rejection simply meant the story bride would chose a different groom."