widow

1 of 2

noun

wid·​ow ˈwi-(ˌ)dō 

1

a

: a woman who has lost her spouse or partner by death and usually has not remarried

b

: grass widow sense 2

c

: a woman whose spouse or partner leaves her alone or ignores her frequently or for long periods to engage in a usually specified activity

a golf widow

a video game widow

2

: an extra hand or part of a hand of cards dealt face down and usually placed at the disposal of the highest bidder

3

: a single usually short last line (as of a paragraph) separated from its related text and appearing at the top of a printed page or column

widow

2 of 2

verb

widowed; widowing; widows

transitive verb

1

: to cause to become a widow or widower

2

obsolete : to survive as the widow of

3

: to deprive of something greatly valued or needed

Examples of widow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But Mike's past seems to catch up to him as a kingpin cartel widow, Isabel (Kate del Castillo), and her son Armando (Jacob Scipio) begin assassinating people tied to her husband's downfall, including Mike. —Rendy Jones, EW.com, 12 June 2024

Laurene Powell Jobs, widow of Apple visionary Steve Jobs, just paid $94 million for an oceanfront estate in Malibu’s Paradise Cove, The Times has confirmed. —Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2024

Verb

John suddenly dies, leaving Francesca widowed and alone. —Dina Kaur, The Arizona Republic, 12 June 2024

The nonagenarian was born and raised in Haiti and widowed decades before her death. —Ellen Moynihan, New York Daily News, 19 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English widewe, from Old English wuduwe; akin to Old High German wituwa widow, Latin vidua, Sanskrit vidhavā, Latin -videre to separate

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing widow

• black widow
• chuck-will's-widow
• football/golf widow
• grass widow
• merry widow
• widow maker
• widow's cruse
• widow's peak
• widow's walk

Kids Definition

widow

1 of 2 noun

wid·​ow ˈwid-ō 

: a woman whose spouse has died

widowhood

-ˌhu̇d

noun

widow

2 of 2 verb

: to cause to become a widow or widower

widowed by war