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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of black widow

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

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

Arachnophobia can make humans flee at the sight of a brown recluse, black widow or even a daddy long legs, but animal predators of spiders know no such fear.

From Science Daily • Mar. 22, 2024

And why would anyone want to hurt Maria, who was so tenderhearted, she rescued black widow spiders?

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer