husband

[huhz-buhnd]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR husband ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a married man, especially when considered in relation to his partner in marriage.

British. a manager.

Archaic. a prudent or frugal manager.

verb (used with object)

to manage, especially with prudent economy.

to use frugally; conserve: to husband one's resources.

Archaic.

to be or become a husband to; marry.
to find a husband for.
to till; cultivate.

Origin of husband

before 1000; Middle English husband(e), Old English hūsbonda master of the house < Old Norse hūsbōndi, equivalent to hūs house + bōndi (bō-, variant of bū- dwell (see boor) + -nd present participle suffix + -i inflectional ending)

Related formshus·band·er, nounhus·band·less, adjectiveun·hus·band·ed, adjective

Synonyms for husband

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR husband ON THESAURUS.COM

5. preserve, save, store, hoard.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for husband

partner, spouse, companion, consort, groom, bridegroom, helpmate, mate, monogamist, hubby

Examples from the Web for husband

Contemporary Examples of husband

Toomey lives here with her husband, Mark, a managing director at Goldman Sachs, and their two daughters.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze
Lizzie Crocker
January 9, 2015
Smith attended both funerals as a cop and as the husband of Police Officer Moira Smith, who died on 9/11.
The Muslim Cop Killed by Terrorists
Michael Daly
January 9, 2015
“Call me when the plane leaves the ground,” she said, in a tone that implied she knew her husband well.
Mario Cuomo, a Frustrating Hero to Democrats, Is Dead at 82
Eleanor Clift
January 2, 2015
Mrs. Douli then watched her husband go under water for the last time.
‘We’re Going to Die’: Survivors Recount Greek Ferry Fire Horror
Barbie Latza Nadeau
December 29, 2014
“My husband and I were in the water for more than four hours,” she said, according to ANSA news service.
‘We’re Going to Die’: Survivors Recount Greek Ferry Fire Horror
Barbie Latza Nadeau
December 29, 2014

Historical Examples of husband

The girls I know are taught painstakingly how to get a husband, but nothing of how to be a wife.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
The husband in my case was to be an inconvenience, but doubtless an amusing one.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
Mr. Bines is my husband, Mtterchen, and we're leaving for the West in the morning.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
"I ordered the sun turned on at just this point," replied her husband, with a large air.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
Mrs. Morgan gave Robert a reception as warm as her husband had done.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger

British Dictionary definitions for husband

husband

noun

a woman's partner in marriage

archaic

a manager of an estate
a frugal person

verb

to manage or use (resources, finances, etc) thriftily

archaic

(tr)to find a husband for
(of a woman) to marry (a man)

(tr) obsolete to till (the soil)

Derived Formshusbander, nounhusbandless, adjective

Word Origin for husband

Old English hūsbonda, from Old Norse hūsbōndi, from hūs house + bōndi one who has a household, from bōa to dwell

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

Word Origin and History for husband

Old English husbonda "male head of a household," probably from Old Norse husbondi "master of the house," from hus "house" (see house (n.)) + bondi "householder, dweller, freeholder, peasant," from buandi, present participle of bua "to dwell" (see bower). Beginning late 13c., replaced Old English wer as "married man," companion of wif, a sad loss for English poetry. Slang shortening hubby first attested 1680s.

"manage thriftily," early 15c., from husband (n.) in an obsolete sense of "steward" (mid-15c.). Related: Husbanded; husbanding.