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widow's cruse

American  

noun

  1. an inexhaustible supply of something: in allusion to the miracle of the cruse of oil in 1 Kings 17:10–16 and 2 Kings 4:1–7.


widow's cruse British  

noun

  1. an endless or unfailing source of supply

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of widow's cruse

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The other 17 were dry as the widow's cruse, were rapidly deteriorating into a useless mass of rust.

From Time Magazine Archive

In the U.S. today, he adds grimly, "There is no widow's cruse."

From Time Magazine Archive

The army chest, of which none knew the contents but Bonaparte, was as inexhaustible as the widow's cruse.

From The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte Vol. I. (of IV.) by Sloane, William Milligan

Had Ren� not heard of the widow's cruse?

From The Red City A Novel of the Second Administration of President Washington by Mitchell, S. Weir (Silas Weir)

In the widow's cruse is oil enough to furnish light for all the world.'

From Memoirs of Margaret Fuller Ossoli, Volume I by Fuller, Margaret

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