may-queen

A young woman is crowned the may-queen in a spring festival.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A girl or young woman crowned with flowers as queen of a May Day celebration: "may-queen" refers to a female figure chosen to preside over the festivities of May Day, traditionally crowned with a floral garland and often leading dances or processions.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Every year, the village selects a may-queen to lead the May Day parade. (A young woman is chosen to be the ceremonial leader of the spring festival.)
  • The may-queen wore a crown of fresh flowers and a long white dress. (The girl crowned as queen of the May Day celebration wore floral and formal attire.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be crowned may-queen": to be officially selected and adorned as the queen of May Day festivities.

  • She was crowned may-queen during the school's spring festival. (She received the honour of leading the May Day events.)

• "may-queen ceremony": the formal event in which the may-queen is chosen and crowned.

  • The may-queen ceremony included dances, songs, and the weaving of garlands. (The event featured traditional May Day activities.)

Variants and Related Words

• May Day (n): the first day of May, traditionally celebrated with spring festivals, dancing, and the crowning of a may-queen.

  • May Day festivities often involve a maypole dance and the selection of a may-queen. (The spring holiday includes these customs.)

• Queen of the May (n): an alternative term for "may-queen," used especially in British English.

  • The Queen of the May led the procession through the town. (The may-queen performed the same ceremonial role.)

Synonyms

• May queen: a direct synonym, often written without a hyphen.
• Spring queen: a less common term for a female figure associated with spring celebrations.

Related Idioms

• Queen for a day: a phrase describing a temporary honour or special treatment, similar to the may-queen's role for one day.
  • She felt like queen for a day when she was chosen as may-queen. (She enjoyed a brief, special status.)

Note: "may-queen" is a specific cultural term with no phrasal verbs or common idioms beyond the direct celebration context.