widow

1 of 2

noun

wid·​ow ˈwi-(ˌ)dō 

1

a

: a woman who has lost her spouse or partner by death and usually has not remarried

b

: grass widow sense 2

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

His widow, Khaleda Zia, would go on to lead her husband’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party. —Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025

Regalo de Amor: A widow uncovers secrets after her husband’s death​, including a little girl mysteriously registered as her daughter.​ Starring Alejandra Robles Gil and Chris Pazcal. —Veronica Villafañe, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025

Verb

Support group for widowed The widowed support group of First United Methodist Church of Mount Dora will have its monthly meeting at 9:30 a.m. May 22 in the church’s chapel, 333 E. Fifth Ave. —Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2025

This is an apparent reference to Indian women widowed by the April 22 attack. —Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 8 May 2025

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

Phrases Containing widow

• black widow
• chuck-will's-widow
• football/golf widow
• grass widow
• merry widow
• widow maker
• widow's cruse
• widow's peak
• widow's walk

Rhymes for widow

• kiddo

Kids Definition

widow

1 of 2 noun

wid·​ow ˈwid-ō 

: 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