Spinster tags "spinster" (meaning "...unmarried woman, typically an older woman beyond the usual age for marriage") as "derogatory" and "a good example of the way in which a word acquires strong connotations to the extent that it can no longer be used in a neutral sense." The 1828 and 1913 editions of "Merriam Webster's Dictionary" defined spinster in two ways: "1. A woman who spins, or whose occupation is to spin. 2. Law: An unmarried or single woman." By the 1800s, the term had evolved to include women who chose not to marry. During that century middle-class spinsters, as well as
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (BA or AB, from the Latin ' or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, sciences, or both. Bachelor of Arts programs generally take three to four years depending on the country, institution, and specific specializations, majors, or minors. The word ' (from the Latin ', a berry, and ', "of the bay laurel") should not be confused with ' (translatable as "gold-plated scepter" by using the Latina ' and '), which refers to the one- to two-year postgraduate "Bachelor of Arts with