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

Wasps top the list in Iowa, ticks take the lead in Missouri, mosquitoes pose the highest danger in New York, and black widow spiders are the main concern in Alabama and Nebraska. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

The Southern black widow sets up shop close to the ground, whereas a Northern black widow often prefers a higher place to weave a web. — Eva Flowe may 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 May 2026

According to Police Chief Lynn Hahn, one officer, Sergeant Day, crawled through a nearby manhole into the drain, braving potential run-ins with black widow spiders, to reach and lift the dog, named Dip, from below. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 May 2026

She's rumored to be a black widow who has inherited a lot of money from her husbands. — Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 17 May 2026

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