Definition of "thornback" in Englisch

noun

1. Any animal with a thorny back, especially marine animals, such as:

2. (archaic) A woman over a certain age (variously 26 or 30) who has never married, older than a spinster.

   • [A] society of honest gentlemen [is holding a lottery] for the benefit of all single ladies, widows, maids, or thornbacks […]