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Cuckold vs Adultery - What's the difference?

cuckold | adultery |

As nouns the difference between cuckold and adultery

is that cuckold is a man married to an unfaithful wife, especially when he is unaware or unaccepting of the fact while adultery is sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse.

As a verb cuckold

is to make a cuckold of someone by being unfaithful, or by seducing his wife.

cuckold

English

(cuckold) (Rhinesomus) (Scrawled cowfish)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A man married to an unfaithful wife, especially when he is unaware or unaccepting of the fact.
  • * 1546 ,
    • If I never marry, I shall never be a cuckold .
  • A West Indian plectognath fish, .
  • The cowfish, and allied species.

    • Usage notes

    * This was a standard comic figure in medieval and Shakespearean drama.

    Quotations

    *

    Synonyms

    * , smooth trunkfish

    Hyponyms

    * (a man married to an unfaithful wife) wittol, mari complaisant

    Derived terms

    * cuckolder * cuckoldry * cuckquean

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make a cuckold of someone by being unfaithful, or by seducing his wife.
  • * 2008 , , Questionable Content 1319: The Flimsiest of Logic
    • Hey, I would never cuckold one of my friends. That’s way not cool.

    Quotations

    *

    adultery

    English

    (wikipedia adultery)

    Alternative forms

    * advowtry (obsolete)

    Noun

    (adulteries)
  • Sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than their spouse.
    • She engaged in adultery because her spouse has a low libido, while hers is very high.
  • (Bible) Lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the seventh commandment.
  • (Bible) Faithlessness in religion.
    • And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. (King James Version)
  • (obsolete) The fine and penalty formerly imposed for the offence of adultery.
  • (ecclesiastical) The intrusion of a person into a bishopric during the life of the bishop.
  • (obsolete) adulteration; corruption
    • (Ben Jonson)
  • (obsolete) injury; degradation; ruin
  • * Ben Jonson
    • You might wrest the caduceus out of my hand to the adultery and spoil of nature.

    Related terms

    * adulter * adulterate * adulterer * adulteress * adulterine * adulterise * adulterous

    External links

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