“贞洁，纯洁，处女，维斯塔女祭司的特征”，1590年代，最初（15世纪初）指“属于或献给Vesta”（参见），罗马壁炉和家庭女神，来自拉丁语vestalis。
名词记录于15世纪中期，是Vestal virgin（拉丁语virgines Vestales）的缩写，指负责神圣火焰的四位（后来六位）女祭司，火焰据说是由埃涅阿斯从特洛伊的残骸中带来的，供奉在罗马维斯塔神庙中。从1580年代起，泛指任何处女或贞洁的女性。
They entered the service of the goddess at from six to ten years of age, their term of service lasting thirty years. They were then permitted to retire and to marry, but few did so, for, as vestals, they were treated with great honor, and had important public privileges. Their persons were inviolable, any offense against them being punished with death, and they were treated in all their relations with the highest distinction and reverence. A vestal who broke her vow of chastity was immured alive in an underground vault amid public mourning. There were very few such instances; in one of them, under Domitian, the chief of the vestals was put to death under a false charge trumped up by the emperor. [Century Dictionary]
她们在六到十岁之间进入女神的服务，服务期限为三十年。然后她们被允许退休并结婚，但很少有人这样做，因为作为女祭司，她们受到极大的尊敬，并享有重要的公共特权。她们的人身不可侵犯，任何对她们的冒犯都将被判死刑，在所有关系中，她们都受到最高的尊重和敬意。一位违反贞洁誓言的女祭司将被活埋在地下墓室中，公众会为其哀悼。这样的实例非常少；其中一个例子是在多米提安时期，女祭司长因皇帝捏造的虚假指控而被处死。[世纪词典]
