maiden work

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "maiden work" is correct and can be used in written English.
It can be used to describe the first or initial work done by someone, especially in a particular field or profession. Example: "Her maiden work as a pastry chef was highly acclaimed by the food critics." In this sentence, "maiden work" is used to describe the first work done by the person in their new job as a pastry chef.

✓ Grammatically correct

Encyclopedias

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

From this effort and through his lectures at the higher school came Nishida's maiden work, Zen no kenkyū (1911; A Study of Good, 1960).

Encyclopedia Britannica

In 1824 he produced his maiden work, the Geschichte der romanischen und germanischen Völker von 1494 bis 1514 (History of the Latin and Teutonic Nations from 1494 to 1514), which treats the struggle waged between the French and the Habsburgs for Italy as the phase that ushered in the new era.

Encyclopedia Britannica

This he began to do in his maiden work, An Inquiry into the Good, published in 1911 (Nishida 1990).

SEP

This maiden work attempts to employ the singularity-free Integral Augmented Sliding Mode Control with Boundary-Layer (IASMC-BL) to provide a robust, accurate and nonsingular attitude-tracking solution for CEACS.

Advances in Space Research

A Preface written three years earlier to the reprint of An Inquiry into the Good identifies some of the crucial connections in the changing thematic: the standpoint of pure experience articulated in that maiden work developed into that of absolute will, and later into the notion of place or topos, concretized further as a dialectical universal, which in turn gets expressed as action-intuition.

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

An experienced bal maiden working as a spaller would produce approximately one ton (2240 lb; 1016 kg) of broken ore per day, depending on the type of stone.

Wikipedia

Still, of course, those indomitable Wili maidens worked some of their magic, helped especially by the soloists Isabella Boylston and Yuriko Kajiya (Veronika Part's Myrta was rather more leaden than severe).

The New York Times - Arts

While women worked in coal mines elsewhere in Britain either on the surface or underground, bal maidens worked only on the surface.

Wikipedia

Because records from the period are incomplete and inconsistent in format, the total number of bal maidens working in this period is unclear.

Wikipedia

Some bal maidens working in cobbing and bucking wore rubber tubing on the fingers of one hand as protection from their hammer.

Wikipedia

Though "Maa" was Ms. Saariaho's maiden stage work, anyone paying attention might have recognized her theatrical bent early on.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "maiden work" when you want to specifically emphasize that something is the very first piece of work someone has produced, especially if you want to convey a sense of novelty or potential.

Common error

Avoid using "maiden work" too frequently in a single piece of writing. While appropriate for the initial mention, subsequent references can be simplified to "first work" or "debut work" for better flow.

Linguistic Context

Noun phrase: "Maiden work" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. It identifies a specific entity—the first significant piece of work produced by someone, as seen in the Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Encyclopedias

30%

Science

40%

News & Media

30%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "maiden work" refers to the initial significant creation or project undertaken by an individual, especially in a professional or artistic field. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically correct and suitable for use in written English. Though relatively formal, as shown by its prevalence in encyclopedias and scientific literature, it is an effective way to emphasize the novelty and potential associated with a person's first endeavor. While not exceedingly common, the phrase is readily understood and accepted. Consider using alternatives like "first work" or "debut work" for variety, but "maiden work" serves well when you wish to convey a sense of novelty and anticipation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

first work

Replaces "maiden" with a more common synonym, focusing on the chronological order.

debut work

Emphasizes the public introduction aspect of the first piece of work.

initial creation

Highlights the act of creating something for the first time.

first endeavor

Shifts the focus to the effort and undertaking involved in the first project.

early work

Highlights the early stage of someone's career or development.

inaugural project

Implies a formal or significant first undertaking.

freshman effort

Uses academic terminology to denote a first attempt or project.

premiere work

Highlights the showing or performing of a work for the first time.

original work

Emphasizes the novelty and uniqueness of the first piece.

starting piece

Simple synonym, but more generic.

FAQs

What does "maiden work" mean?

The phrase "maiden work" refers to the first significant piece of work that someone produces in their career or in a particular field. It implies that the work is new and potentially indicative of future endeavors.

What can I say instead of "maiden work"?

You can use alternatives like "first work", "debut work", or "initial creation" depending on the context.

Is "maiden work" formal or informal?

The phrase "maiden work" is considered relatively formal but is acceptable in academic, news and media and professional contexts.

How to use "maiden work" in a sentence?

Example usage: "His "maiden work", a collection of short stories, showed promising talent."