black widow
noun
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 widows
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pluralof black widow.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
"As we're altering the landscape within cities, these areas are becoming attractive to black widows," Verrelli said.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2025
Gonzalez, a bug-lover since childhood, remembers seeing black widows all over her backyard while growing up in Whittier.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2024
In the meantime, Mr. Cottichio said, if you find yourself on a property with black widows, don’t be so quick to kill them: They’re already having a bad time.
From New York Times ● Mar. 13, 2023
The ongoing contest might end with black widows being cast out of crawl spaces and attics in favor of the wilderness, where their aggressive cousins won’t follow.
From New York Times ● Mar. 13, 2023
A hundred times he had confronted black widows, and—BLAM!—always, unthinkingly, he had smashed them with his hand the way most men and women in Milagro eradicated the pests.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
