[wife] n, pl wives [ME wif, fr. OE wif; akin to OHG wib wife] (bef. 12c) 1 a dial: woman b: a woman acting in a specified capacity--used in combination "fishwife"
2: a female partner in a marriage -- wife.hood n -- wife.less adj
[wife] n, pl wives [ME wif, fr. OE wif; akin to OHG wib wife] (bef. 12c) 1 a dial: woman b: a woman acting in a specified capacity--used in combination "fishwife"
2: a female partner in a marriage -- wife.hood n -- wife.less adj
Merriam-Webster English vocab. Английский словарь Merriam Webster. 2012