| 释义 |
wife
I. \ˈwīf\ noun
(plural wives \-īvz\)
Etymology: Middle English wif, from Old English wīf; akin to Old High German wīb woman, wife, Old Norse vīf woman; perhaps akin to Old Norse veipr head covering — more at wipe
1.
a. dialect : woman — compare old wife
b. : a woman acting in a specified capacity — used in combination: as
(1) : one who sells something : vender
< a fishwife >
< an oysterwife >
(2) : one who has charge of something : keeper
< henwife >
(3) : a woman worker
< washerwife >
< hostlerwife >
2.
a. : a married woman
< a wife can take credit for the good in her husband — Lenard Kaufman >
b. : a woman who on the basis of her tribal or societal institutions is married
< in sororal polygyny when a man married the eldest daughter each of her sisters became his wife also >
3. : the female of a pair of mated animals
< a new wife for the gander is introduced into the pen >
II. verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle English wifen, from wif wife
: wive |