widownoun [ C ]
uk/ˈwɪd.əʊ/us/ˈwɪd.oʊ/B2 a woman whose husband or wife has died and who has not married again
fishing/football/golf widow informal humorous
a woman whose partner is often not at home because he or she is fishing or playing football or golf
Examples
- He had some mercenary scheme to marry a wealthy widow.
- There once was a poor widow who had a beautiful daughter.
- It's a bloody disgrace that some war widows don't get a decent pension.
- A traditional Indian custom used to involve widows burning themselves alive on their husbands' funeral pyres.
- She is a member of a benevolent society for sailors' widows.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Marriage: marital status
- bachelor
- bachelorette
- common law
- divorce
- divorcee
- honeymoon
- lone
- married
- marry
- miss
- missus
- newlywed
- spinster
- spoken for
- trophy wife/girlfriend
- unattached
- unmarried
- widower
- widowhood
- wifely
See more results »
widowverb [ T usually passive ]
uk/ˈwɪd.əʊ/us/ˈwɪd.oʊ/If someone has been widowed, their husband or wife has died:
He was widowed at the age of 52.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Marriage: marital status
- bachelor
- bachelorette
- common law
- divorce
- divorcee
- honeymoon
- lone
- married
- marry
- miss
- missus
- newlywed
- spinster
- spoken for
- trophy wife/girlfriend
- unattached
- unmarried
- widower
- widowhood
- wifely
See more results »