Meaning of "widow" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD WIDOW

Old English widuwe; related to German Witwe, Latin vidua (feminine of viduus deprived), Sanskrit vidhavā.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF WIDOW

widow  [ˈwɪdəʊ]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF WIDOW

Widow is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb widow in English.

WHAT DOES WIDOW MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Widow

A widow is a woman whose husband has died, while a widower is a man whose wife has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood. These terms are generally not applied to a person after he or she becomes divorced from their former spouse. This term "widowhood" can be used for either sex, at least according to some dictionaries, but the word widowerhood is also listed in some dictionaries. Occasionally, the word viduity is used. The adjective form for either sex is widowed. The treatment of widows around the world varies, but unequal benefits and treatment generally received by widows compared to those received by widowers globally has spurred an interest in the issue by human rights activists.

Definition of widow in the English dictionary

The first definition of widow in the dictionary is a woman who has survived her husband, esp one who has not remarried. Other definition of widow is a woman whose husband frequently leaves her alone while he indulges in a sport, etc. Widow is also an additional hand or set of cards exposed on the table.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO WIDOW

PRESENT

Present

I widow

you widow

he/she/it widows

we widow

you widow

they widow

Present continuous

I am widowing

you are widowing

he/she/it is widowing

we are widowing

you are widowing

they are widowing

Present perfect

I have widowed

you have widowed

he/she/it has widowed

we have widowed

you have widowed

they have widowed

Present perfect continuous

I have been widowing

you have been widowing

he/she/it has been widowing

we have been widowing

you have been widowing

they have been widowing

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I widowed

you widowed

he/she/it widowed

we widowed

you widowed

they widowed

Past continuous

I was widowing

you were widowing

he/she/it was widowing

we were widowing

you were widowing

they were widowing

Past perfect

I had widowed

you had widowed

he/she/it had widowed

we had widowed

you had widowed

they had widowed

Past perfect continuous

I had been widowing

you had been widowing

he/she/it had been widowing

we had been widowing

you had been widowing

they had been widowing

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will widow

you will widow

he/she/it will widow

we will widow

you will widow

they will widow

Future continuous

I will be widowing

you will be widowing

he/she/it will be widowing

we will be widowing

you will be widowing

they will be widowing

Future perfect

I will have widowed

you will have widowed

he/she/it will have widowed

we will have widowed

you will have widowed

they will have widowed

Future perfect continuous

I will have been widowing

you will have been widowing

he/she/it will have been widowing

we will have been widowing

you will have been widowing

they will have been widowing

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would widow

you would widow

he/she/it would widow

we would widow

you would widow

they would widow

Conditional continuous

I would be widowing

you would be widowing

he/she/it would be widowing

we would be widowing

you would be widowing

they would be widowing

Conditional perfect

I would have widow

you would have widow

he/she/it would have widow

we would have widow

you would have widow

they would have widow

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been widowing

you would have been widowing

he/she/it would have been widowing

we would have been widowing

you would have been widowing

they would have been widowing

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you widow
we let´s widow
you widow

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to widow

Past participle

widowed

Present Participle

widowing

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

TRANSLATION OF WIDOW

Find out the translation of widow to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of widow from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «widow» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 寡妇
• Translator English - Spanish: viuda
• English: widow
• Translator English - Hindi: विधवा
• Translator English - Arabic: أَرْمَلَة
• Translator English - Russian: вдова
• Translator English - Portuguese: viúva
• Translator English - Bengali: বিধবা
• Translator English - French: veuve
• Translator English - Malay: Janda
• Translator English - German: Witwe
• Translator English - Japanese: 未亡人
• Translator English - Korean: 과부
• Translator English - Javanese: Randha
• Translator English - Vietnamese: bà góa
• Translator English - Tamil: விதவை
• Translator English - Marathi: विधवा
• Translator English - Turkish: dul
• Translator English - Italian: vedova
• Translator English - Polish: wdowa
• Translator English - Ukrainian: вдова
• Translator English - Romanian: văduvă
• Translator English - Greek: χήρα
• Translator English - Afrikaans: weduwee
• Translator English - Swedish: änka
• Translator English - Norwegian: enke

10 QUOTES WITH «WIDOW»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word widow.

1

William Adams

Therefore I do pray and entreat you in the name of Jesus Christ to do so much as to make my being here in Japan known to my poor wife, in a manner a widow and my two children fatherless; which thing only is my greatest grief of heart and conscience.

2

Blythe Danner

For a woman who's a widow and pretty much a loner, I can walk out, and I'm surrounded by NYU kids. The energy jumps off the sidewalks, and I never feel sad or bored.

3

Morris Dees

She was in a difficult position being the widow of a great American hero, a role that carried high expectations but she did a credible job of continuing Dr King's dream especially in the face of a changing and often hostile American public.

4

Faith Evans

I've certainly had to go through trying to change the fact that I was always identified as the widow of Notorious B.I.G. You know, I'm never going to be able to get away from having been married to him, but that's not what identifies me. You know, my life isn't just about that.

5

Martha Griffiths

Give us a chance to show you that those so-called protective laws to aid women - however well intentioned originally - have become in fact restraints, which keep wife, abandoned wife, and widow alike from supporting her family.

6

Dolores Ibarruri

It is better to be the widow of a hero than the wife of a coward.

7

Ashley Judd

I get lonely when I'm a Playstation widow.

8

Jackie Kennedy

Can anyone understand how it is to have lived in the White House and then, suddenly, to be living alone as the President's widow?

9

Courtney Love

I'm ultimately a widow and a single mother, who's not even getting to be a mother right now. I am so alone, it's freaky.

10

Dominic Monaghan

Here's an interesting thing about L.A. - it's overrun with black widow spiders. I could find you one on the street in 10 minutes.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «WIDOW»

Discover the use of widow in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to widow and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Widow to Widow: How the Bereaved Help One Another

In the second edition of her pioneering text, Phyllis Silverman brings the success of the original widow-to-widow program into the 21st century, preparing a new generation of community leaders, clergy, counselors, hospice staff, social ...

Phyllis R. Silverman, 2004

Mama Black Widow: A Story of the South's Black Underworld

Mama Black Widow tells the tragic story of Otis Tilson, a stunning black drag queen trapped in a cruel queer ghetto underworld.

Iceberg Slim, 2013

Black Widow

In Dirty Game, Annie Bailey was an East End Madam. In Black Widow she’s queen of the gangs and trying to save her daughter’s life...

Jessie Keane, 2009

The Undistracted Widow: Living for God After Losing Your Husband

Writing from a biblical perspective, Carol Cornish helps readers to discover how God is working in the midst of the deep distress of losing a spouse.

Carol W. Cornish, 2010

Widow to Widow: Thoughtful, Practical Ideas for Rebuilding ...

In this remarkably useful guide, widow, author, and therapist Genevieve Davis Ginsburg offers fellow widows-as well as their family and friends-sage advice for coping with the loss of a husband.

Genevieve Davis Ginsburg, 2007

Grace for the Widow: A Journey Through the Fog of Loss

Joyce Rogers, a recently widowed, highly respected woman of faith, helps others with profound and practical tips on how to weather the pain of loss and see God's plan for the future.

Joyce Rogers, 2009

Black Widow: A Novel

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Nikki Turner's Heartbreak of a Hustler's Wife. #1 bestselling author Nikki Turner returns with an explosive new novel about a woman at an emotional crossroads–and the men left in her wake.

Nikki Turner, 2008

Widow of Larkspur Inn, The (The Gresham Chronicles Book #1)

When Life Seemed Its Worst, Gresham Awaited Julia Hollis' opulent life in Victorian London crashes to pieces when her husband passes away.

Lawana Blackwell, 2007

Black Widow: The True Story of the Hilley Poisonings

The spellbinding true story of obsession and power, of money and arsenic, of multiple personas and multiple murders: of the ghastly web that Audrey Marie Hilley wove around her family to obtain material security and the social prestige she ...

Robin McDonald, 2006

The Widow Clicquot

As much a fascinating journey through the process of making this temperamental wine as a biography of a uniquely tempered woman, The Widow Clicquot is the captivating true story of a legend and a visionary.

Tilar J. Mazzeo, 2009

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «WIDOW»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term widow is used in the context of the following news items.

Bob Simon's widow files lawsuit against limo driver

NEW YORK – The widow of "60 Minutes" correspondent Bob Simon has sued the driver of a town car that crashed and killed her husband. The New York Post ... «Fox News, Jun 15»

Suge Knight Sued for Wrongful Death by Widow of Man He Killed

The widow of a man killed when Marion "Suge" Knight ran over him with a pickup truck has sued the one-time rap mogul and other key figures in the making of ... «NBC Southern California, Jun 15»

Robin Williams' Widow, Susan, Accused Of Using 'Delaying Tactics …

However, Wagstaffe defended Susan by ignoring the allegations of both lawyers. He asserted that his client was “an emotionally grieving widow who is trying to ... «The Inquisitr, Jun 15»

Vermont Woman Bitten by Black Widow Spider Discovered in Bag of …

A 21-year-old woman in Vermont has been hospitalized after being bitten by a black widow spider, apparently hiding in a bag of grapes purchased from a local ... «People Magazine, May 15»

Casey Kasem's widow won't face elder abuse charges

(CNN) Citing insufficient evidence, Los Angeles County prosecutors declined to file elder abuse charges against the widow of iconic radio host Casey Kasem. «CNN, May 15»

Black Widow deserved a better romance in Avengers: Age of Ultron

The most frustrating thing about the Black Widow/Bruce Banner romance in ... of the criticism of the pairing has focused on the characterisation of Black Widow, ... «The Guardian, May 15»

Entertainment Geekly: The Black Widow Conundrum

Black Widow is the most popular female superhero of the decade, right? Who else compares? Scarlett Johansson has played the Widow in four films since ... «Entertainment Weekly, May 15»

'American Sniper' Widow Taya Kyle Says She Put Hate for Chris …

Taya Kyle, widow of “American Sniper” Chris Kyle, now an advocate for veterans' families, talked about having to face her husband's murderer Eddie Ray Routh ... «ABC News, Apr 15»

Chris Evans And Jeremy Renner Called Black Widow A 'Whore …

Captain America and Hawkeye had some words to explain Black Widow's new interest in Bruce Banner, and it isn't going over so well with some fans. «Tech Times, Apr 15»

Chicago Cubs' Ernie Banks' widow Elizabeth at war with Regina …

Lawyers for Banks' widow, Elizabeth, have called for a review of the player's accounts including vehicles and baseball memorabilia after Rice's lawyers ... «Daily Mail, Mar 15»