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

Driving Miss Daisy, the 1989 comedy drama, details the unlikely friendship between an elderly Jewish widow named Daisy, played by Jessica Tandy, and a Black chauffeur named Hoke, played by Freeman. —Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025

Those people who weren’t central to the survival of the community—the elderly, the sick, widows, orphans—often disappeared out onto the ice. —Ben Taub, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025

Verb

The parental confession was prompted when Bush Hager's guest cohost, Andy Cohen, made an offhand critique of the Disney flick, which centers on a young girl named Cinderella who works as a servant for her mean-spirited stepmother and stepsisters after the death of her widowed father. —Edward Segarra, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025

We are all now widowed, but still get together regularly to enjoy plays, operas, dinners out and to celebrate each others’ birthdays. —Judith Martin, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 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