Widow

wid′ō, n. a woman who has lost her husband by death.— v.t. to bereave of a husband: to strip of anything valued: ( Shak. ) to endow with a widow's right: to be widow to.— ns. Wid′ow-bench , a widow's share of her husband's estate besides her jointure; Wid′ow-bewitched′ , a gra -widow; Wid′ow-bird , a corruption of Whydah-bird ; Wid′ower , a man whose wife is dead; Wid′owerhood ; Wid′owhood , state of being a widow, or (rarely) of being a widower: ( Shak. ) a widow's right; Wid′ow-hun′ter , one who seeks to marry a widow for her money; Wid′ow-mā′ker , one who bereaves women of their husbands; Wid′ow's-cham′ber , the apparel and bedroom furniture of the widow of a London freeman, to which she was entitled; Wid′ow-wail , a dwarf shrub with pink, sweet-scented flowers, native to Spain and southern France.— Widow's lawn , a fine thin muslin; Widow's man , a fictitious person; Widow's silk , a silk fabric with dull surface, for mournings; Widow's weeds , the mourning dre of a widow. [A.S. widwe , wudu we ; Ger. wittwe , L. vidua , bereft of a husband, Sans. vidhavā .]