magdalen

noun

1. the. Mary Magdalene.
2. (lowercase) a reformed prostitute.
3. Also Mag·da·len [mag-duh-luh n] /ˈmæg də lən/. a female given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “woman of Magdala.”

noun

1. literary a reformed prostitute
2. rare a reformatory for prostitutes

noun

1. See Mary Magdalene

n.“reformed prostitute,” 1690s, so called for Mary Magdalene, disciple of Christ (Luke viii:2), who often is identified with the penitent woman in Luke vii:37-50. See Magdalene. fem. proper name, from Latin (Maria) Magdalena, from Greek Magdalene, literally “woman of Magdala,” from Aramaic Maghdela, place on the Sea of Galilee, literally “tower.” The vernacular form of the name, via French, has come to English as maudlin.