black widow

American  

noun

1. a venomous spider, Latrodectus mactans, widely distributed in the U.S., the female of which is jet-black with an hourglass-shaped red mark on the underside of its abdomen.

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black widow British  

noun

1. an American spider, Latrodectus mactans , the female of which is black with red markings, highly venomous, and commonly eats its mate

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Etymology

Origin of black widow

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

The system may belong to a rare category known as a black widow.

From Science Daily • Jan. 1, 2026

Verrelli has studied the spread of black widow spiders, an increasing medical health concern in cities along the West Coast.

From Salon • Jun. 15, 2025

Hunting at night for crabs and avoiding being bitten by black widow spiders, he tells the cameras: "I'll be slammed for this Phillip Schofield mad rant."

From BBC • Sep. 28, 2024

That also helps you to avoid other venomous animals that live in the park, including scorpions and black widow spiders.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 1, 2024

I’m pretty sure even some of the kids in Little Rock and Memphis heard stories about Lily’s own black widow.

From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley