Damsels

Damsel is a term with multiple meanings. In historical and literary usage, a damsel refers to a young unmarried woman, especially in medieval and early modern Europe. The word derives from Old French demoiselle and ultimately from Latin puella meaning girl. In modern English the term is largely archaic, surviving in fixed phrases such as "damsel in distress" and in some place names or decorative language.

In medieval romance and chivalric literature, the damsel figure commonly appears as a noble or gentlewoman who may be aided or rescued by a knight. The damsel's role has been analyzed as reflecting social ideals of courtly love, protection of women, and class relations; modern readings critique the trope for reinforcing gender stereotypes.

Damsels also denotes damselflies, a group of slender-bodied insects in the suborder Zygoptera, within the order Odonata. Damselflies are typically smaller and more delicately built than dragonflies. Adults usually have wings of similar size and shape and often rest with their wings folded together above the body or held along it. They have eyes that are separated rather than meeting at the top of the head. Damselflies inhabit habitats near freshwater and are predators both as nymphs (naiads) and adults. The life cycle starts with eggs laid in water, aquatic naiads develop for several weeks to years, and emergence yields winged adults.

The term is sometimes used colloquially to refer to a person needing help, echoing the damsel-in-distress motif, but such usage is often considered cliché or old-fashioned.