I. ˈwīf noun
( plural wives -īvz)
Etymology: Middle English wif, from Old English wīf; akin to Old High German wīb woman, wife, Old Norse vīf woman; perhaps akin to Old Norse veipr head covering — more at wipe
1.
a. dialect : woman — compare old wife
b. : a woman acting in a specified capacity — used in combination: as
(1) : one who sells something : vender
a fish wife
an oyster wife
(2) : one who has charge of something : keeper
hen wife
(3) : a woman worker
washer wife
hostler wife
2.
a. : a married woman
a wife can take credit for the good in her husband — Lenard Kaufman
b. : a woman who on the basis of her tribal or societal institutions is married
in sororal polygyny when a man married the eldest daughter each of her sisters became his wife also
3. : the female of a pair of mated animals
a new wife for the gander is introduced into the pen
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English wifen, from wif wife
: wive