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

In his Wednesday interview, Gonzales alleged that when Santos-Aviles died, her widow reached out to the representative’s offices to ask about death benefits and retirement funds. —Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Mar. 2026

His widow, Nadezdha, described well the reverberations of the regime for both those who belonged to it and those who opposed it. —Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026

Verb

She was already widowed when her son died of smallpox in 1879, at the age of twenty-four. —Anika Burgess, New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2026

The Fashion Angle The Nanny stars Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, who becomes the nanny for a wealthy Manhattan family and develops a relationship with her widowed employer, Maxwell. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 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