Godiva

noun

Go·di·va gə-ˈdī-və

: an English earl's wife who in legend rode naked through Coventry to save its citizens from a tax

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of Godiva was in 1785

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

godhood

Godiva

godkin

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Godiva.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Godiva. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

unabashed

Listen to the pronunciation of unabashed

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What’s the difference between ‘cemetery’ and ‘graveyard’?

Popular in Wordplay

Are you in a 'food coma'?

The Words of the Week - Nov. 21

17 Words for Dog Breeds

Words That Turned 100 in 2025

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

Popular

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

Are you in a 'food coma'?

The Words of the Week - Nov. 21