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Widow vs Widowed - What's the difference?

widow | widowed |

As verbs the difference between widow and widowed

is that widow is to make a widow (or widower) of someone; to cause the death of one's spouse while widowed is past tense of widow.

As a noun widow

is a woman whose husband has died (and who has not remarried); feminine of widower.

As an adjective widowed is

whose spouse has died; who has become a widow or widower.

widow

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A woman whose husband has died (and who has not remarried); feminine of widower.
  • (informal, in combination) A woman whose husband is often away pursuing a sport, etc.
  • * 1988', Emily Parry, " For a Bowling '''Widow , a Split Isn't Just Two Lonely Pins," ''New York Times , 27 Nov.,
  • I had been feeling like a bowling-alley widow , but knew he loved the game, so I suggested we join a mixed league.
  • An additional hand of cards dealt face down in some card games, to be used by the highest bidder.
  • (printing) A single line of type that ends a paragraph, carried over to the next page or column.
  • A venomous spider, of the genus Latrodectus .
  • Derived terms

    * black widow * golf widow * grass widow * widow bird * widow-maker

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make a widow (or widower) of someone; to cause the death of one's spouse.
  • English transitive verbs

    widowed

    English

    Adjective

    (head)
  • (of a previously married person) whose spouse has died; who has become a widow or widower.
  • "I can't remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride" (from the song " (1959))

    Verb

    (head)
  • (widow)