widow

1 of 2

noun

wid·​ow ˈwi-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce widow (audio)
1
a
: a woman who has lost her spouse or partner by death and usually has not remarried
c
: a woman whose spouse or partner leaves her alone or ignores her frequently or for long periods to engage in a usually specified activity
a golf widow
a video game widow
2
: an extra hand or part of a hand of cards dealt face down and usually placed at the disposal of the highest bidder
3
: 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

widow

2 of 2

verb

widowed; widowing; widows

transitive verb

1
: to cause to become a widow or widower
2
obsolete : to survive as the widow of
3
: to deprive of something greatly valued or needed

Examples of widow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Still, the council this year unanimously approved the legislation, which was backed by Barry’s widow, Cora Masters Barry. Ellie Silverman, Washington Post, 19 Nov. 2023 In the twenties and thirties, the Armistice became a frequent occasion for antiwar protests, by war widows, pacifists, and veterans who felt that the day’s rituals had become too martial and celebratory. Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 15 Nov. 2023 All the flamenco families were seated in the front row: Camarón’s sons and widow, Paco de Lucía’s daughters and his widow, La Farruca surrounded by her children, and the Morente family. Ingrid Fajardo, Billboard, 14 Nov. 2023 In 1994, his widow Ono gave the recording to Harrison, McCartney and Starr, and the trio recorded new parts and made a rough mix with help from producer and Electric Light Orchestra rocker Jeff Lynne. Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 7 Nov. 2023 Jackson also got help from Lennon’s son, singer Sean Ono Lennon, and Harrison’s widow, Olivia, and son, Dhani, who found some unseen home video to add to the project. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 3 Nov. 2023 In the interview, the Davises discussed the opera’s creation; their experience with Malcolm’s widow, Betty Shabazz; and revising the piece. Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2023 In the present day, a widow, Eleanor Bennett (Chipo Chung), observes the thunderous waves on a California beach before walking into the Pacific Ocean and letting herself be overcome by the water. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 27 Oct. 2023 There is a new widow whose loathsome husband is kept alive by an app installed by her supposedly well-meaning sister. Ellen Akins, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2023
Verb
The buyers are swiped over in dating apps, widowed, divorced or bored, eager to pay for the illusion of intimacy with an otherwise unattainable match. Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023 After Wyatt's funeral, Rebecca Lee, now widowed, poured herself into her medical school training. Dominique Janee, Scientific American, 2 Nov. 2023 When widowed, Lillian, pivoted to efficiency in the home. Johanna Mayer, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2023 At the time, Dr. Goldberg and Ms. Levenson were both in their late 60s and widowed after decades-long marriages. Anna Grace Lee, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023 Recently widowed, Lale finds the courage to tell the world his story. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 Aug. 2023 The Japanese native was recently widowed (her husband had been a chemist at Harvard and Carnegie-Mellon universities) and needed to support her three children, Takeo being the middle child at age 3. Peggy Hernandez, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2023 Loss and recovery are also the emotional poles that Ausubel’s main characters—the scientist, recently widowed, and her two teenage daughters—move between. Regina Marler, The New York Review of Books, 31 Aug. 2023 Around the same time, Kazmi’s mother-in-law, recently widowed, was moving in with her from Pakistan. Monica Williams, Detroit Free Press, 14 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'widow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English widewe, from Old English wuduwe; akin to Old High German wituwa widow, Latin vidua, Sanskrit vidhavā, Latin -videre to separate

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of widow was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near widow

Cite this Entry

“Widow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widow. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

widow

1 of 2 noun
wid·​ow ˈwid-ō How to pronounce widow (audio)
: a woman whose spouse has died
widowhood
-ˌhu̇d
noun

widow

2 of 2 verb
: to cause to become a widow or widower
widowed by war

More from Merriam-Webster on widow

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