widow

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• Received-Pronunciation: /ˈwɪd.əʊ/
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• General-American: /ˈwɪd.oʊ/
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• US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -ɪdəʊ
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• CMU ARPABET: W IH1 D OW0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh1 Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Indo-European *dheh1- Proto-Indo-European *h1weydhh1- Proto-Indo-European *h1widhéwh2 Proto-Germanic *widuwǭ Proto-West Germanic *widuwā Old English widuwe Middle English widwe English widow PIE word *dwóh1 From Middle English widow, from Old English widuwe (“widow”), from Proto-West Germanic *widuwā (“widow”), from Proto-Germanic *widuwǭ (“widow”), from Proto-Indo-European *h1widhéwh2 (“widow”), possibly from *h1weydhh1-, *widh- (“to separate, split, cleave, divide”), whence also wood from Old English widu, wudu. Cognates Cognate with Scots weedae, wedow, widdow (“widow”), Cimbrian bittaba (“widow”), Dutch weduwe, weeuw (“widow”), German Witwe (“widow”), Vilamovian wytwa (“widow”), Gothic 𐍅𐌹𐌳𐌿𐍅𐍉 (widuwō, “widow”), Old Irish fedb (“widow”), Welsh gweddw (“widow”), Asturian and Spanish viuda (“widow”), Aragonese and Latin vidua (“widow”), Catalan vídua (“widow”), French veuve (“widow”), Galician and Portuguese viúva (“widow”), Italian vedova (“widow”), Romanian văduvă (“widow”), Ancient Greek ἠΐθεος (ēḯtheos, “bachelor”), Albanian ve (“widow, widower”), Belarusian удава́ (udavá, “widow”), Czech, Slovak, and Slovene vdova (“widow”), Polish gdowa, wdowa (“widow”), Russian and Ukrainian вдова́ (vdová, “widow”), Serbo-Croatian udova, у̀дова (“widow”), Central Kurdish بێوە (bêwe, “widow”), Ossetian идӕдз (idæʒ, “widowed”), Persian بیوه (bive, bêva, “widow”), Sanskrit विधवा (vidhavā, “widow”).

278 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Abkhaz: аԥҳәысеиба (apḥwəsejba) — woman whose spouse has died
• Afar: gubuna — woman whose spouse has died
• Afrikaans: weduwee — woman whose spouse has died
• Aklanon: baeo — woman whose spouse has died
• Albanian: ve — woman whose spouse has died
• Southern Altai: тул (tul) — woman whose spouse has died
• Amharic: መበለት (mäbälät) — woman whose spouse has died
• Arabic: أَرْمَلَة (ʔarmala) — woman whose spouse has died
• Arabic: أرملة (ʔarmila) — woman whose spouse has died
• Arabic: أَرْمَلة (ʔarmala) — woman whose spouse has died
• Armenian: այրի (ayri) — woman whose spouse has died
• Aromanian: veduã — woman whose spouse has died
• Aromanian: veduvã — woman whose spouse has died
• Asturian: viuda — woman whose spouse has died
• Azerbaijani: dul — woman whose spouse has died
• West Coast Bajau: baau — woman whose spouse has died
• West Coast Bajau: pituanun — woman whose spouse has died
• Balinese: balu — woman whose spouse has died
• Balinese: rangda — woman whose spouse has died
• Bashkir: тол (tol) — woman whose spouse has died
• Bashkir: тол ҡатын (tol qatın) — woman whose spouse has died
• Basque: alargun — woman whose spouse has died
• Belarusian: удава́ (udavá) — woman whose spouse has died
• Belarusian: ўдава́ (wdavá) — woman whose spouse has died
• Bengali: বিধবা (bidhoba) — woman whose spouse has died
• Breton: intañvez — woman whose spouse has died
• Bulgarian: вдови́ца (vdovíca) — woman whose spouse has died
• Burmese: မုဆိုးမ (mu.hcui:ma.) — woman whose spouse has died
• Carpathian Rusyn: вдова́ (vdová) — woman whose spouse has died
• Catalan: vídua — woman whose spouse has died
• Chechen: жеро (žero) — woman whose spouse has died
• Cherokee: ᎤᏬᏑᎶᏨ (uwosulotsv) — woman whose spouse has died
• Chinese Cantonese: 寡母婆 — woman whose spouse has died
• Chinese: гуафу (guafu) — woman whose spouse has died
• Chinese: гуафужын (guafuřɨn) — woman whose spouse has died
• Chinese Mandarin: 寡婦 /寡妇 (guǎfù) — woman whose spouse has died
• Northern Min Chinese: 守寡嫲 (siǔ-guǎ-mǎ) — woman whose spouse has died
• Wu Chinese: 孤孀 (1ku-saon) — woman whose spouse has died
• Chukchi: ӄликвъильын (qlikvʺilʹyn) — woman whose spouse has died
• Czech: vdova — woman whose spouse has died
• Danish: enke — woman whose spouse has died
• Dutch: weduwe — woman whose spouse has died
• Egyptian: XA-A-r:*t-B1 (ẖꜣrt) — woman whose spouse has died
• Elfdalian: aintja — woman whose spouse has died
• Erzya: дова (dova) — woman whose spouse has died
• Esperanto: vidvino — woman whose spouse has died
• Estonian: lesk — woman whose spouse has died
• Ewe: ahosi — woman whose spouse has died
• Faroese: einkja — woman whose spouse has died
• Finnish: leski — woman whose spouse has died
• French: veuve — woman whose spouse has died
• West-Frisian: widdo — woman whose spouse has died
• Friulian: vedue — woman whose spouse has died
• Galician: viúva — woman whose spouse has died
• Georgian: ქვრივი (kvrivi) — woman whose spouse has died
• German: Witwe — woman whose spouse has died
• Gothic: 𐍅𐌹𐌳𐌿𐍅𐍉 (widuwō) — woman whose spouse has died
• Greek: χήρα (chíra) — woman whose spouse has died
• Ancient Greek: χήρα (khḗra) — woman whose spouse has died
• Pontic Greek: χ̌έρα (šéra) — woman whose spouse has died
• Gujarati: વિધવા (vidhvā) — woman whose spouse has died
• Gujarati: રાંડીરાંડ (rā̃ḍīrā̃ḍ) — woman whose spouse has died
• Gujarati: બેવા (bevā) — woman whose spouse has died
• Haitian Creole: vèv — woman whose spouse has died
• Hebrew: אַלְמָנָה (almaná) — woman whose spouse has died
• Higaonon: balo — woman whose spouse has died
• Hindi: विधवा (vidhvā) — woman whose spouse has died
• Hindi: बेवा (bevā) — woman whose spouse has died
• Hungarian: özvegy — woman whose spouse has died
• Hungarian: özvegyasszony — woman whose spouse has died
• Iban: balu — woman whose spouse has died
• Icelandic: ekkja — woman whose spouse has died
• Ido: vidvino — woman whose spouse has died
• Indonesian: janda — woman whose spouse has died
• Ingrian: leski — woman whose spouse has died
• Ingrian: leskinain — woman whose spouse has died
• Ingush: жеро (žero) — woman whose spouse has died
• Iranun: balu — woman whose spouse has died
• Irish: baintreach — woman whose spouse has died
• Middle Irish: baintrebthach — woman whose spouse has died
• Old Irish: fedb — woman whose spouse has died
• Istriot: viduva — woman whose spouse has died
• Italian: vedova — woman whose spouse has died
• Japanese: 寡婦 (yamome) — woman whose spouse has died
• Japanese: 未亡人 (mibōjin) — woman whose spouse has died
• Japanese: 後家 (goke) — woman whose spouse has died
• Japanese: 空き家 (akiya) — woman whose spouse has died
• Javanese: randha — woman whose spouse has died
• Old Javanese: raṇḍa — woman whose spouse has died
• Old Javanese: walu — woman whose spouse has died
• Judeo-Italian: וֵידוּוַה — woman whose spouse has died
• Kashubian: gdowa — woman whose spouse has died
• Kashubian: wdowa — woman whose spouse has died
• Kazakh: жесір әйел (jesır äiel) — woman whose spouse has died
• Kazakh: тұл әйел (tūl äiel) — woman whose spouse has died
• Kazakh: тұл жесір (tūl jesır) — woman whose spouse has died
• Khmer: មេម៉ាយ (mei maay) — woman whose spouse has died
• Khmer: ម៉ាយ (maay) — woman whose spouse has died
• Khmer: វិធវា (vithĕəʼviə) — woman whose spouse has died
• Korean: 홀어미 (horeomi) — woman whose spouse has died
• Korean: 과부 (gwabu) — woman whose spouse has died
• Northern Kurdish: bîjin — woman whose spouse has died
• Northern Kurdish: jinebî — woman whose spouse has died
• Kyrgyz: жесир аял (jesir ayal) — woman whose spouse has died
• Lao: ແມ່ຫມ້າຍ (mǣ māi) — woman whose spouse has died
• Lao: ຫມ້າຍ (māi) — woman whose spouse has died
• Latin: vidua — woman whose spouse has died
• Latvian: atraitne — woman whose spouse has died
• Laz: შირა (şira) — woman whose spouse has died
• Lithuanian: našlė — woman whose spouse has died
• Livonian: lešknai — woman whose spouse has died
• Livonian: atrāitanai — woman whose spouse has died
• Lower Tanana: titwxenh — woman whose spouse has died
• Luxembourgish: Wittfra — woman whose spouse has died
• Macedonian: вдовица (vdovica) — woman whose spouse has died
• Malagasy: mpananotena — woman whose spouse has died
• Malay: janda — woman whose spouse has died
• Malay: balu — woman whose spouse has died
• Malayalam: വിധവ (vidhava) — woman whose spouse has died
• Maltese: armla — woman whose spouse has died
• Māori: pouaru — woman whose spouse has died
• Māori: takahore — woman whose spouse has died
• Maranao: balo — woman whose spouse has died
• Marathi: विद्वा (vidvā) — woman whose spouse has died
• Central Melanau: jabul — woman whose spouse has died
• Mongolian: бэлэвсэн эхнэр (belevsen exner) — woman whose spouse has died
• Navajo: asdzání bahastiin daaztsánígíí — woman whose spouse has died
• Niuean: takape — woman whose spouse has died
• Norman: veuve — woman whose spouse has died
• Norwegian Bokmål: enke — woman whose spouse has died
• Norwegian Nynorsk: enkje — woman whose spouse has died
• Occitan: veusa — woman whose spouse has died
• Odia: ନିସଙ୍ଗ ଧାଡ଼ି (nisaṅga dhāṛi) — woman whose spouse has died
• Church Slavic: въдова (vŭdova) — woman whose spouse has died
• Church Slavic: ⰲⱏⰴⱁⰲⰰ (vŭdova) — woman whose spouse has died
• Old East Slavic: въдова (vŭdova) — woman whose spouse has died
• Old English: widuwe — woman whose spouse has died
• Old Norse: ænkia — woman whose spouse has died
• Old Norse: ekkia — woman whose spouse has died
• Old Turkic: 𐱄𐰆𐰟 (tul) — woman whose spouse has died
• Ossetian: идӕдз ус (idæʒ us) — woman whose spouse has died
• Pali: vidhavā — woman whose spouse has died
• Pannonian Rusyn: ґдова (gdova) — woman whose spouse has died
• Pannonian Rusyn: ґдовица (gdovica) — woman whose spouse has died
• Pashto: کونډه (kwǝ́nḍa) — woman whose spouse has died
• Pashto: باربلېزه (bārbelíza) — woman whose spouse has died
• Dari: بیوَه (bēwa) — woman whose spouse has died
• Iranian Persian: بیوِه (bive) — woman whose spouse has died
• Phoenician: 𐤀𐤋𐤌𐤕 (ʾlmt) — woman whose spouse has died
• Piedmontese: vidoa — woman whose spouse has died
• Plautdietsch: Wätfru — woman whose spouse has died
• Polish: wdowa — woman whose spouse has died
• Portuguese: viúva — woman whose spouse has died
• Punjabi: ਵਿਧਵਾ (vidhvā) — woman whose spouse has died
• Quechua: ikma — woman whose spouse has died
• Romanian: văduvă — woman whose spouse has died
• Russian: вдова́ (vdová) — woman whose spouse has died
• Russian: вдови́ца (vdovíca) — woman whose spouse has died
• Saho: gubnä — woman whose spouse has died
• Northern Sami: leaska — woman whose spouse has died
• Sanskrit: विधवा (vidhavā) — woman whose spouse has died
• Sardinian: fiuda — woman whose spouse has died
• Scots: weedae — woman whose spouse has died
• Scots: weedae-wife — woman whose spouse has died
• Scottish Gaelic: banntrach — woman whose spouse has died
• Serbo-Croatian: у̀дова — woman whose spouse has died
• Serbo-Croatian: удо̀вица — woman whose spouse has died
• Serbo-Croatian: ùdova — woman whose spouse has died
• Serbo-Croatian: udòvica — woman whose spouse has died
• Sicilian: vìduva — woman whose spouse has died
• Sicilian: vìdua — woman whose spouse has died
• Silesian: gdowa — woman whose spouse has died
• Sindhi: وڌوا (odhvā) — woman whose spouse has died
• Slovak: vdova — woman whose spouse has died
• Slovene: vdova — woman whose spouse has died
• Lower Sorbian: hudowa — woman whose spouse has died
• Upper Sorbian: wudowa — woman whose spouse has died
• Spanish: viuda — woman whose spouse has died
• Swahili: mjane — woman whose spouse has died
• Swedish: änka — woman whose spouse has died
• Tajik: бева (beva) — woman whose spouse has died
• Talysh: vev — woman whose spouse has died
• Talysh: ویوهژن (viva-žen) — woman whose spouse has died
• Tamil: விதவை (vitavai) — woman whose spouse has died
• Tarifit: tajjatš — woman whose spouse has died
• Tat: biyə — woman whose spouse has died
• Tausug: balu — woman whose spouse has died
• Thai: แม่ม่าย (mɛ̂ɛ-mâai) — woman whose spouse has died
• Thai: แม่หม้าย (mɛ̂ɛ-mâai) — woman whose spouse has died
• Thai: ม่าย (mâai) — woman whose spouse has died
• Thai: หม้าย (mâai) — woman whose spouse has died
• Tigrinya: መበለት (mäbälät) — woman whose spouse has died
• Turkish: dul — woman whose spouse has died
• Turkmen: dul aýal — woman whose spouse has died
• Turkmen: dul zenan — woman whose spouse has died
• Ugaritic: 𐎀𐎍𐎎𐎐𐎚 — woman whose spouse has died
• Ukrainian: вдова́ (vdová) — woman whose spouse has died
• Ukrainian: удова́ (udová) — woman whose spouse has died
• Ukrainian: вдови́ця (vdovýcja) — woman whose spouse has died
• Ukrainian: удови́ця (udovýcja) — woman whose spouse has died
• Urdu: بیوَہ (beva) — woman whose spouse has died
• Urdu: وِیڈو (vīḍo) — woman whose spouse has died
• Urdu: وِدْھوا (vidhvā) — woman whose spouse has died
• Uyghur: تۇل خوتۇن (tul xotun) — woman whose spouse has died
• Uyghur: تۇل (tul) — woman whose spouse has died
• Uzbek: tul — woman whose spouse has died
• Uzbek: beva — woman whose spouse has died
• Venetan: védoa — woman whose spouse has died
• Vietnamese: quả phụ — woman whose spouse has died
• Vietnamese: goá — woman whose spouse has died
• Volapük: jiviudan — woman whose spouse has died
• Votic: lehči — woman whose spouse has died
• Welsh: gweddw — woman whose spouse has died
• Yámana: šupun-kipa — woman whose spouse has died
• Yiddish: אַלמנה (almone) — woman whose spouse has died
• Yiddish: אַלמאָנע (almone) — woman whose spouse has died
• Yup'ik: aipaineq — woman whose spouse has died
• Armenian: այրի (ayri) — person whose spouse has died
• Azerbaijani: dul — person whose spouse has died
• Bashkir: тол (tol) — person whose spouse has died
• Dutch: weduw — person whose spouse has died
• Esperanto: gevidvo — person whose spouse has died
• Estonian: lesk — person whose spouse has died
• Finnish: leski — person whose spouse has died
• Galician: viúvo — person whose spouse has died
• Georgian: ქვრივი (kvrivi) — person whose spouse has died
• Hindi: विधुर (vidhur) — person whose spouse has died
• Hindi: विधवा (vidhvā) — person whose spouse has died
• Hungarian: özvegy — person whose spouse has died
• Ido: vidvo — person whose spouse has died
• Ingrian: leski — person whose spouse has died
• Lower Tanana: titwxenh — person whose spouse has died
• Malagasy: maty vady — person whose spouse has died
• Portuguese: viúvo — person whose spouse has died
• Quechua: ikma — person whose spouse has died
• Northern Sami: leaska — person whose spouse has died
• Scottish Gaelic: banntrach — person whose spouse has died
• Scottish Gaelic: bantrach — person whose spouse has died
• Swahili: mjane — person whose spouse has died
• Turkish: dul — person whose spouse has died
• Volapük: viudan — person whose spouse has died
• Bulgarian: сла́мена вдови́ца (slámena vdovíca) — woman whose husband is often away
• Czech: slaměná vdova — woman whose husband is often away
• Finnish: leski — woman whose husband is often away
• Russian: соло́менная вдова́ (solómennaja vdová) — woman whose husband is often away
• Slovak: slamená vdova — woman whose husband is often away
• Swahili: mjane — woman whose husband is often away
• Swedish: gräsänka — woman whose husband is often away
• Finnish: pöytäkortit — card games: additional hand dealt face down
• French: chien — card games: additional hand dealt face down
• Irish: ciste — card games: additional hand dealt face down
• Polish: musik — card games: additional hand dealt face down
• Breton: intañvez — single line of type carried over to the next page
• Breton: linenn intañvez — single line of type carried over to the next page
• Danish: horeunge — single line of type carried over to the next page
• Dutch: weduwe — single line of type carried over to the next page
• Finnish: leskirivi — single line of type carried over to the next page
• German: Hurenkind — single line of type carried over to the next page
• Hungarian: özvegysor — single line of type carried over to the next page
• Japanese: 孤立行 (koritsugyō) — single line of type carried over to the next page
• Japanese: ウィドー (widō) — single line of type carried over to the next page
• Polish: bękart — single line of type carried over to the next page
• Polish: wdowa — single line of type carried over to the next page
• Portuguese: viúva — single line of type carried over to the next page
• Russian: вися́чая строка́ (visjáčaja stroká) — single line of type carried over to the next page
• Swahili: mjane — single line of type carried over to the next page
• Bulgarian: че́рна вдови́ца (čérna vdovíca) — spider of the genus Latrodectus
• Finnish: Latrodectus — spider of the genus Latrodectus
• Finnish: mustaleski — spider of the genus Latrodectus
• Galician: viúva negra — spider of the genus Latrodectus
• Portuguese: viúva negra — spider of the genus Latrodectus
• Russian: чёрная вдова́ (čórnaja vdová) — spider of the genus Latrodectus
• Hebrew: אִלְמֵן (ilmén) — to make a widow or widower
• Italian: vedovare — to make a widow or widower
• Ladino: enbivdar — to make a widow or widower
• Māori: whakapouaru — to make a widow or widower
• Spanish: enviudar — to make a widow or widower
• Turkish: dul bırakmak — to make a widow or widower