black widow

noun

: a venomous New World spider (Latrodectus mactans of the family Theridiidae) the female of which is black with an hourglass-shaped red mark on the underside of the abdomen

broadly : any of various related venomous spiders that have a large globular, usually glossy, dark abdomen often marked with red and long and wiry legs

Illustration of black widow

Examples of black widow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Two women friends, black widows in their youth, are forced back into action, but are rather rusty, need rapid retraining. —John Hopewell, Variety, 25 Nov. 2025

When bitten by the southern black widow, the spider’s venom attacks the nerve endings in muscles that can cause severe pain and muscle cramps at the source of the bite, which can then spread throughout the body. —Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 31 Oct. 2025

While most spiders are harmless, species such as the black widow and brown recluse can pose health risks due to their bites. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 2025

This includes brown and black widows and brown recluse. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 11 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for black widow

• kiddo

Kids Definition

black widow

noun

: a poisonous New World spider the female of which is black with an hourglass-shaped red mark on the underside of the abdomen

Medical Definition

black widow

noun

black wid·​ow -ˈwid-ˌō 

: a venomous New World spider of the genus Latrodectus (L. mactans) the female of which is black with an hourglass-shaped red mark on the underside of the abdomen

broadly : any other spider of the genus Latrodectus