n. & v.
n. 1 a woman who has lost her husband by death and has not married again. 2 a woman whose husband is often away on a specified activity (golf widow). 3 extra cards dealt separately and taken by the highest bidder. 4 Printing the short last line of a paragraph at the top of a page or column.
v.tr. 1 make into a widow or widower. 2 (as widowed adj.) bereft by the death of a spouse (my widowed mother). 3 (foll. by of) deprive of. widow-bird a whydah. widow's cruse an apparently small supply that proves or seems inexhaustible (see 1 Kgs. 17:10-16). widow's mite a small money contribution (see Mark 12:42). widow's peak a V-shaped growth of hair towards the centre of the forehead. widow's weeds see WEEDS.
[ OE widewe, rel. to OHG wituwa, Skr. vidh va, L viduus bereft, widowed, Gk eitheos unmarried man ]