widow

/'widou/
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widow

An elderly widow tends to her garden of sunflowers.

Definition
  1. Noun:

    • A woman whose husband has died and who has not remarried: A widow is a woman whose spouse has passed away and who remains unmarried after his death.
  2. Verb:

    • To cause someone to become a widow or widower: This action involves making a person's spouse die, thereby leaving them without their partner.
Examples of Usage
  • Noun: After her husband's passing, she lived as a widow for twenty years.The charity provides support for elderly widows in the community.

  • Verb: The tragic accident widowed her at a young age.Many soldiers were killed in the conflict, widowing countless women.

Advanced Usage
  • "Widow's peak": A distinctive V-shaped point in the hairline at the center of the forehead. The term's origin is folkloric, often associated with the hoods worn by widows. He has a very pronounced widow's peak.

  • "Widow's walk": A railed rooftop platform, typically on a coastal house, historically associated with wives watching for their seafaring husbands' return. The old house by the sea still has its original widow's walk.

Variants and Related Words
  • Widower (n): A man whose wife has died and who has not remarried. He became a widower after fifty years of marriage.

  • Widowhood (n): The state or period of being a widow or widower. Her widowhood was a time of great personal reflection.

  • Widowed (adj): Describing someone whose spouse has died. She was widowed last year.

Synonyms
  • Noun: Relict (archaic term for a widow).
  • Verb: Bereave (of a spouse).
Related Phrases
  • Black widow: A venomous spider (Latrodectus), the female of which sometimes eats the male after mating. The name draws a metaphorical connection to the concept of a widow. Be careful not to disturb a black widow spider.

  • Widow's mite: A small contribution that is very generous considering the giver's limited means. This phrase originates from a Biblical story about a poor widow's offering. His donation was a widow's mite, but it meant everything to the cause.

widow

An elderly widow tends to her garden of sunflowers.

Noun
  1. a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried
Verb
  1. cause to be without a spouse
    • The war widowed many women in the former Yugoslavia