Phrase guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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noun
A person's spouse or lover, most commonly a man's wife.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: spouse, better half, consort, helpmate, helpmeet, mate, other half, partner, wedder, ball and chain
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A very close friend or companion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a person's partner in marriage
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: spouse, partner, married person, mate
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: domestic partner, significant other, spousal equivalent, spouse equivalent, relative, relation
Narrower terms: bigamist, consort, helpmate, helpmeet, husband, hubby, married man, monogamist, monogynist, newlywed, honeymooner, polygamist, wife, married woman
History
Ultimately from such Latin poetic phrases as animae dīmidium meae (“half of my soul”) (Horace writing about Virgil), when it instead referred to a close friend (compare soulmate). First written instance of it meaning “spouse” was in 1580 by Sir Philip Sidney.
Across languages
21 source translations are retained for this English entry.
