noun
beautiful maiden; beauty
Literary or poetic term for a beautiful young woman; not used in everyday conversation.
物語に登場する美姫は、多くの若者の憧れの的だった。
The beautiful maiden in the tale was admired by many young people.
Standard kanji spelling for this literary noun.
Compound of 美 (beauty) and 姫 (princess, young noblewoman). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning of a beautiful young woman.