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wife
1[ wahyf ]
noun
- a married woman, especially when considered in relation to her partner in marriage.
- a woman ( archaic or dial., except in idioms):
old wives' tale.
verb (used with or without object)
- Rare. wive.
-wife
2- a combining form of wife, now unproductive, occurring in compound words that in general designate traditional roles or occupations of women:
fishwife; goodwife; housewife; midwife.
wife
/ ɲɪ /
noun
- a man's partner in marriage; a married woman uxorial
- an archaic or dialect word for woman
- take to wifeto marry (a woman)
Derived Forms
- ˈɾڱ, adjective
- ˈɾڱǴǻ, noun
- ˈɾڱԱ, noun
- ˈɾڱ, adjective
- ˈɾڱˌ, adjective
Other Word Forms
- ɾڱddz noun
- ɾڱl adjective
- ɾڱl·ness noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of wife1
Word History and Origins
Origin of wife1
Idioms and Phrases
- take to wife, to marry (a particular woman):
He took an heiress to wife.
More idioms and phrases containing wife
see under wives .Example Sentences
The suspects also directed the purchase and destruction of two statues the victim had created depicting Xi and Xi’s wife, according to prosecutors.
At Lloyd's sentencing, her husband Mark broke down in tears while describing the agony of seeing his wife in a coma with cuts and bruises to her face and body.
He told the AFP news agency he immediately ran home to try to find his wife and sons.
It named another woman, Raphael's British wife, as the little girl's mother.
Writing on Instagram in November, singer Sir Rod Stewart described Wallace as an "ill-mannered bully", and said the presenter "humiliated" his wife Penny Lancaster when she was on Masterchef in 2021.
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More About Wife
is a basic definition of wife?
A wife is a married woman.
The word wife is often used when a woman’s marital status is important to the current topic. For example, a man might explain to a salesperson that he is looking for a present for his wife, which is a lot more helpful than saying he is buying a gift for “a woman.”
The plural of wife is wives. A man who is married is called a husband. A woman whose marital partner has died is called a widow.
- Real-life examples: Queen Isabella I of Castille was the wife of King Ferdinand II of Aragon. King Henry VIII infamously had six wives (but one at a time!). If you are married to a woman, then she is your wife.
- Used in a sentence: My uncle has never been married and says he has no interest in finding a wife.
Sometimes, a modifier is used with wife to be more specific about a woman’s marital partner.
- Used in a sentence: The documentary explored the lives of prison wives.
Some married people prefer gender-neutral terms, such as spouse or partner. The choice is up to the people in the marriage.
Where does wife come from?
The first records of wife come from before the 900s. It comes from the Old English word ī, meaning “woman.” It is related to the Dutch wijf, the German Weib, and the Old Norse ī.
Did you know ... ?
are some other forms related to wife?
are some synonyms for wife?
are some words that share a root or word element with wife?
are some words that often get used in discussing wife?
How is wife used in real life?
Wife is a very common word used to explain a woman’s relationship to her spouse.
My wife is the Person of the Year.
— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer)
Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has teed up a trip to the Oscars as a Christmas gift for his wife Cathy.
— Bolarinwa Olajide (@iambolar)
A man near and dear to me and many others has lost his wife in a battle with cancer. My prayers are with you Coach Jackson
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII)
Try using wife!
True or False?
The word wife is used to refer to a woman who is not married.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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