Definitions for widow
ˈwɪd oʊwid·ow

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. widow, widow woman(verb)

   a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried

2. widow(verb)

   cause to be without a spouse

   "The war widowed many women in the former Yugoslavia"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. widow(Noun)

   A woman whose husband has died (and has not re-married); feminine of widower.

   Etymology: From widewe, from widuwōn.

2. widow(Noun)

   A woman whose husband is often away pursuing a sport, etc.

   Etymology: From widewe, from widuwōn.

3. widow(Noun)

   A single line of type that ends a paragraph, carried over to the next page or column.

   Etymology: From widewe, from widuwōn.

4. widow(Noun)

   type of venomous spider, of the genus Latrodectus

   Etymology: From widewe, from widuwōn.

5. widow(Verb)

   To make a widow (or widower) of someone; to cause the death of one's spouse.

   Etymology: From widewe, from widuwōn.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Widow(noun)

   a woman who has lost her husband by death, and has not married again; one living bereaved of a husband

   Etymology: [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; and probably to Skr. vidh to be empty, to lack; cf. Gr. "hi`qeos a bachelor. 248. Cf. Vidual.]

2. Widow(adj)

   widowed

   Etymology: [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; and probably to Skr. vidh to be empty, to lack; cf. Gr. "hi`qeos a bachelor. 248. Cf. Vidual.]

3. Widow(verb)

   to reduce to the condition of a widow; to bereave of a husband; -- rarely used except in the past participle

   Etymology: [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; and probably to Skr. vidh to be empty, to lack; cf. Gr. "hi`qeos a bachelor. 248. Cf. Vidual.]

4. Widow(verb)

   to deprive of one who is loved; to strip of anything beloved or highly esteemed; to make desolate or bare; to bereave

   Etymology: [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; and probably to Skr. vidh to be empty, to lack; cf. Gr. "hi`qeos a bachelor. 248. Cf. Vidual.]

5. Widow(verb)

   to endow with a widow's right

   Etymology: [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; and probably to Skr. vidh to be empty, to lack; cf. Gr. "hi`qeos a bachelor. 248. Cf. Vidual.]

6. Widow(verb)

   to become, or survive as, the widow of

   Etymology: [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; and probably to Skr. vidh to be empty, to lack; cf. Gr. "hi`qeos a bachelor. 248. Cf. Vidual.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Widow

   A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood. This term can be used for either sex, at least according to some dictionaries, but the word widowerhood is also listed in some dictionaries. Occasionally, the word viduity is used. The adjective form for either sex is widowed. The treatment of widows around the world varies, but unequal benefits and treatment generally received by widows versus widowers globally has spurred an interest in the issue by human rights activists.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Widow

   wid′ō, n. a woman who has lost her husband by death.—v.t. to bereave of a husband: to strip of anything valued: (Shak.) to endow with a widow's right: to be widow to.—ns. Wid′ow-bench, a widow's share of her husband's estate besides her jointure; Wid′ow-bewitched′, a grass-widow; Wid′ow-bird, a corruption of Whydah-bird; Wid′ower, a man whose wife is dead; Wid′owerhood; Wid′owhood, state of being a widow, or (rarely) of being a widower: (Shak.) a widow's right; Wid′ow-hun′ter, one who seeks to marry a widow for her money; Wid′ow-mā′ker, one who bereaves women of their husbands; Wid′ow's-cham′ber, the apparel and bedroom furniture of the widow of a London freeman, to which she was entitled; Wid′ow-wail, a dwarf shrub with pink, sweet-scented flowers, native to Spain and southern France.—Widow's lawn, a fine thin muslin; Widow's man, a fictitious person; Widow's silk, a silk fabric with dull surface, for mournings; Widow's weeds, the mourning dress of a widow. [A.S. widwe, wuduwe; Ger. wittwe, L. vidua, bereft of a husband, Sans. vidhavā.]

The Foolish Dictionary, by Gideon Wurdz(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. WIDOW

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

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'widow' in Nouns Frequency: #1830

How to pronounce widow?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say widow in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of widow in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of widow in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of widow in a Sentence

1. Grange Lady Haig Rutan:

   When I married the jazz man I lived at The Palace, I never took the garbage out. When I married the airline captain I lived in a penthouse and on Park Avenue, I never took the garbage out. When I married the former Hitler Youth I lived in a 150 year old farm house, with a barn, playhouse, water pump and a magnolia tree, I never took the garbage out. Now that I am an 80 year old widow, I live in an apartment overlooking blooming magnolia trees, a garden, a gazebo and, if I stretch my neck - as far as I can see, I am convinced I'm in Paris, at last I take the garbage out every day

2. Julian Fellowes:

   [Society] could turn a blind eye to a widow having an affair.

3. Jack Parsons:

   Remember that the Tarot is a great and sacred arcanum - its abuse is an obscenity in the inner and a folly in the outer. It is intended for quite other purposes than to determine when the tall dark man will meet the fair rich widow.

4. Jill Pantozzi:

   There were nowhere near this many of Black Widow or Gamora in the last few years [as opposed to Rey figures], i think a lot of fans had high expectations for what would come out of 'Force Awakens' considering Rey is the lead and that's entirely justified. But the Internet wants everything ASAP and so when it appears companies aren't listening to already proven money making opportunities, anger is a logical response.

5. Barbara Bush:

   Nancy Reagan, the widow of former Republican President Nancy Reagan, died Sunday morning of congestive heart failure, according to Nancy Reagan spokesperson. Nancy Reagan was 94. Barbara Bush offered prayers and condolences from Barbara Bush and Barbara Bush husband, former President George H.W. Bush. Nancy Reagan was totally devoted to President Nancy Reagan, we take comfort that they will be reunited once more.

Images & Illustrations of widow

Popularity rank by frequency of use