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

Frances, Green’s widow, collected donations and with the trustees of Trinity Chapel Methodist Church bought 2 acres in 1889 for a church and burial ground. —Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026

In December 1910, the hotel reopened as the White Palace, under the management of Minnie Hill March, the widow of one of Miami-Dade County’s early citrus fruit growers. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026

Verb

In 1985, Field won Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her performance as widowed Edna Spalding in Places in the Heart, five years after first winning the prize for Norma Rae. —Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026

In 1963 Mary Kay Ash, after being divorced three times and widowed twice, left a successful but stalled career in direct sales and started her own cosmetics company in Dallas. —Sean Clancy, Arkansas Online, 30 Apr. 2026

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