Definition of wife

What does the word wife mean?

• part of speech: noun

  Woman, esp. one who is old& rustic or uneducated (now rare exc. in old wires tale, foolish or superstitious tradition, & in comb. As FISH w., HOUSEWIFE, MIDWIFE); married woman esp. in relation to her husband (usu. my &c., w., the w. of, or with epithet as will make a good w.; wedded, lawful, w., emphatic phrr. in contrast w. mistress, concubine, &c.; all the WORLD& his w.; have, take, to w., = as w.). Hence wifehood, wifle, nn., wifeless, wifelike, wifely, aa. [old English]