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 victim impact statements, Dobson’s widow and father-in-law have also condemned Nelson, who sold Dobson’s laptop, stole Elliot’s car and used the victims’ credit cards to make purchases at a nearby mall. —Bayliss Wagner, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025

In a cosmic bit of serendipity, years later my first expedition was funded by Ann Druyan, Sagan’s widow. —Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025

Verb

The events leave Richard's wife Conchita (Alisha Boe) widowed with a son to care for by herself. —Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 23 July 2025

The public version of her backstory is one of personal loss: widowed and left financially devastated by her husband’s gambling, she’s forced to raise her grandson after the death of her daughter in a car accident. —Clayton Davis, Variety, 15 July 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