Main Entry:

¹wid·ow

Pronunciation:

\ˈwi-(ˌ)dō\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English widewe, from Old English wuduwe; akin to Old High German wituwa widow, Latin vidua, Sanskrit vidhavā, 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 bidder3: 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