iron maiden

noun

A falsely or neo-medieval torture device invented in the 18th century consisting of a chamber lined with spikes which closes upon and impales the victim inside.

Meanings

nouniron maiden (plural iron maidens)

plural iron maidens

  1. historicalA falsely or neo-medieval torture device invented in the 18th century consisting of a chamber lined with spikes which closes upon and impales the victim inside.

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 鐵處女 /铁处女, 鐵娘子 /铁娘子
  • 鐵處女 /铁处女 (tiěchǔnǚ)torture device
  • 鐵娘子 /铁娘子 (tiěniángzǐ)torture device
Czech železná panna
  • železná pannatorture device
Finnish rautaneitsyt
  • rautaneitsyttorture device
French vierge de fer, vierge de Nuremberg
  • vierge de fertorture device
  • vierge de Nurembergtorture device
German eiserne Jungfrau
  • eiserne Jungfrautorture device
Greek σιδηρά παρθένος
  • σιδηρά παρθένος (sidirá parthénos)torture device
Hungarian vasszűz
  • vasszűztorture device
Italian vergine di ferro, vergine di Norimberga
  • vergine di ferrotorture device
  • vergine di Norimbergatorture device
Japanese 鉄の処女
  • 鉄の処女 (tetsu-no shojo)torture device
Portuguese dama de ferro, donzela de ferro
  • dama de ferrotorture device
  • donzela de ferrotorture device
  • virgem de ferrotorture device
Romanian fecioară de fier
  • fecioară de fiertorture device
Russian желе́зная де́ва
  • желе́зная де́ва (želéznaja déva)torture device
Spanish doncella de hierro
  • doncella de hierrotorture device
Swedish järnjungfru
  • järnjungfrutorture device
Turkish demir bakire
  • demir bakiretorture device
Cite this entry
APA

iron maiden. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/iron%20maiden

MLA

“iron maiden.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/iron%20maiden. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “iron maiden,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/iron%20maiden.

Source: iron maiden on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.