Adjacent Words

Widow definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

WIDOW, n. [L. See Wide.] A woman who has lost her husband by death. Luke 2.
Widows chamber, in London, the apparel and furniture of the bed-chamber of the widow of a freeman, to which she is entitled.
WIDOW, v.t.
1. To bereave of a husband; but rarely used except in the participle.
2. To endow with a widows right. [Unusual.]
3. To strip of any thing good.
The widowd isle in mourning--

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried [syn: widow, widow woman] v
1: cause to be without a spouse; "The war widowed many women in the former Yugoslavia"

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English widewe, from Old English wuduwe; akin to Old High German wituwa widow, Latin vidua, Sanskrit vidhav?, Latin -videre to separate Date: before 12th century 1. a. a woman who has lost her husband by death and usually has not remarried b. grass widow 2 c. a woman whose husband leaves her alone frequently or for long periods to engage in a usually specified activity <a golf 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 II. transitive verb Date: 14th century 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

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a woman who has lost her husband by death and has not married again. 2 a woman whose husband is often away on a specified activity (golf widow). 3 extra cards dealt separately and taken by the highest bidder. 4 Printing the short last line of a paragraph at the top of a page or column. --v.tr. 1 make into a widow or widower. 2 (as widowed adj.) bereft by the death of a spouse (my widowed mother). 3 (foll. by of) deprive of. Phrases and idioms: widow-bird a whydah. widow's cruse an apparently small supply that proves or seems inexhaustible (see 1 Kgs.
17:10-16). widow's mite a small money contribution (see Mark
12:42). widow's peak a V-shaped growth of hair towards the centre of the forehead. widow's weeds see WEEDS. Etymology: OE widewe, rel. to OHG wituwa, Skr. vidháva, L viduus bereft, widowed, Gk eitheos unmarried man

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Widow Wid"ow, n. [OE. widewe, widwe, AS. weoduwe, widuwe, wuduwe; akin to OFries. widwe, OS. widowa, D. weduwe, G. wittwe, witwe, OHG. wituwa, witawa, Goth. widuw?, Russ. udova, OIr. fedb, W. gweddw, L. vidua, Skr. vidhav[=a]; and probably to Skr. vidh to be empty, to lack; cf. Gr. ? a bachelor. ????. Cf. Vidual.] A woman who has lost her husband by death, and has not married again; one living bereaved of a husband. ``A poor widow.'' --Chaucer. Grass widow. See under Grass. Widow bewitched, a woman separated from her husband; a grass widow. [Colloq.] Widow-in-mourning (Zo["o]l.), the macavahu. Widow monkey (Zo["o]l.), a small South American monkey (Callithrix lugens); -- so called on account of its color, which is black except the dull whitish arms, neck, and face, and a ring of pure white around the face. Widow's chamber (Eng. Law), in London, the apparel and furniture of the bedchamber of the widow of a freeman, to which she was formerly entitled.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Widow Wid"ow, a. Widowed. ``A widow woman.'' --1 Kings xvii. 9. ``This widow lady.'' --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Widow Wid"ow, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Widowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Widowing.] 1. To reduce to the condition of a widow; to bereave of a husband; -- rarely used except in the past participle. Though in thus city he Hath widowed and unchilded many a one, Which to this hour bewail the injury. --Shak. 2. To deprive of one who is loved; to strip of anything beloved or highly esteemed; to make desolate or bare; to bereave. The widowed isle, in mourning, Dries up her tears. --Dryden. Tress of their shriveled fruits Are widowed, dreary storms o'er all prevail. --J. Philips. Mourn, widowed queen; forgotten Sion, mourn. --Heber. 3. To endow with a widow's right. [R.] --Shak. 4. To become, or survive as, the widow of. [Obs.] Let me be married to three kings in a forenoon, and widow them all. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Widow Wid"ow, n. (Card Playing) In various games, any extra hand or part of a hand, as one dealt to the table.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(widows) A widow is a woman whose husband has died and who has not married again. N-COUNT

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wid'-o ('almanah; chera): In the Old Testament widows are considered to be under the special care of Yahweh (Ps 68:5; 146:9; Pr 15:25). Sympathetic regard for them comes to be viewed as a mark of true religion (Job 31:16; Jas 1:27). Deuteronomy is rich in counsel in their behalf (24:17, etc.).

The word is first mentioned in the New Testament in Ac 6:1: "There arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration." Paul charges that they be particularly cared for, especially those that are "widows indeed," i.e. poor, without support and old (1Ti 5:2-16). Some try to find proof in this passage of that ecclesiastical order of widows mentioned in post-apostolic writings.

See LITERATURE, SUB-APOSTOLIC; WOMAN, IV, 5.

George B. Eager

Foolish Dictionary

The wife of a golfer during the open season, unless she golfs, too. In that event the children are golf orphans.