By the 14th century, a woman whose occupation was spinning thread to be woven into cloth was called a “spinster.” Over time, the term came to denote unmarried women of any occupation—many of whom engaged in spinning as a respectable way to earn income—and began being used in official legal documents to refer to a woman who had never married. Despite its negative connotations, its use persisted into the 21st century. When was the term finally replaced in the legal documents of the UK? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary