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Rommel Posted 13 years ago
Vocabulary

On the word ‘virgin’ used as a noun

When used as a noun, the word ‘virgin’ is commonly defined as ‘a person who has never had sex.’ This leads us to the conclusion that it refers to either a man or a woman, a boy or a girl, and it is, therefore, a common noun instead of a feminine noun. If this is the case, why are such expressions as 'The man is a virgin,' 'The boy is a virgin,' and the like NOT commonly used in the English language?
  

Top answer

The dictionary definition made us believe that a virgin is typically a female who has never had ***. But in reality, against conventional wisdom, a young man can also lose his virginity. )

— Dimsumexpress

  • The dictionary definition made us believe that a virgin is typically a female who has never had ***.
  • But in reality, against conventional wisdom, a young man can also lose his virginity.
  • )
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6 Answers
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The dictionary definition made us believe that a virgin is typically a female who has never had ***. But in reality, against conventional wisdom, a young man can also lose his virginity. So it is absolutely reasonable for a man to say " I lost my virginity when I was 18", ( Ithink It will be a rarity nowadays..)
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This was already answered in another thread. (You can certainly refer to a man or boy as a virgin.)
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But seldom do I hear a boy or a guy say, 'I'm still a virgin.' It sounds strange.
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RommelBut seldom do I hear a boy or a guy say, 'I'm still a virgin.' It sounds strange.
I think I can tell you why. According to a study done in the US in 2007, by the age of 19, 80% of US males and 75% of women have lost their virginity. As strange as it may sound, compared to two generations ago, teens in this generation may feel "uncool", if not embarrassed
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RommelBut seldom do I hear a boy or a guy say, 'I'm still a virgin.' It sounds strange.
And do you hear women say it all the time?

It's probably true that a man would be less likely than a woman to admit being a virgin -- but that's for cultural reasons, as dimsumexpress explained, not for linguistic reasons.
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