husband

[ huhz-buhnd ]

noun

1. a married man, especially when considered in relation to his partner in marriage.
2. British. a manager.
3. Archaic. a prudent or frugal manager.

verb (used with object)

1. to manage, especially with prudent economy.
2. to use frugally; conserve:

   to husband one's resources.

   Synonyms: hoard, store, save, preserve

3. Archaic.
   1. to be or become a husband to; marry.
   2. to find a husband for.
   3. to till; cultivate.

husband

/ ˈhʌzbənd /

noun

1. a woman's partner in marriage
2. archaic.
   1. a manager of an estate
   2. a frugal person

verb

1. to manage or use (resources, finances, etc) thriftily
2. archaic.
   1. tr to find a husband for
   2. (of a woman) to marry (a man)
3. obsolete.
   tr to till (the soil)

Derived Forms

• ˈhusbandless, adjective
• ˈhusbander, noun

Other Words From

• husband·er noun
• husband·less adjective
• un·husband·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of husband¹

before 1000; Middle English husband ( e ), Old English hūsbonda master of the house < Old Norse hūsbōndi, equivalent to hūs house + bōndi ( bō-, variant of bū- dwell ( boor ) + -nd present participle suffix + -i inflectional ending)

Word History and Origins

Origin of husband¹

Old English hūsbonda, from Old Norse hūsbōndi, from hūs house + bōndi one who has a household, from bōa to dwell

Example Sentences

Frustrated by the drawn-out battle and not wanting to part with her son, Abida took a bold step to make her husband back off.

From BBC

At the epicentre of this devastating family drama is Gisèle Pelicot, a diminutive 71-year-old woman, drugged by her former husband and abused for a decade by dozens of strangers he had recruited online.

From BBC

Not many husbands get to find out their wife is pregnant before she does, but he did.

From BBC

Cher grew up with a rootless backdrop that included her mother’s ever-shifting array of husbands, all the while traveling, nomad-like, from one place to another with stints in Pennsylvania, Texas, California and New York.

From Salon

He and his husband, a former New York City prosecutor, married in 2011 and have two children.

From BBC

Related Words

• companion
• partner
• spouse