husband

American  

[huhz-buhnd] / ˈhʌz bənd /

noun

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

2. British. a manager.

3. Archaic. a prudent or frugal manager.

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verb (used with object)

1. to manage, especially with prudent economy.

2. to use frugally; conserve.

   to husband one's resources.

   Synonyms:

   hoard, store, save, preserve

3. Archaic.

   1. to be or become a husband to; marry.

   2. to find a husband for.

   3. to till; cultivate.

husband British  

/ ˈhʌzbənd /

noun

1. a woman's partner in marriage

2. archaic

   1. a manager of an estate

   2. a frugal person

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verb

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

2. archaic

   1. (tr) to find a husband for

   2. (of a woman) to marry (a man)

3. obsolete (tr) to till (the soil)

Other Word Forms

• husbander noun
• husbandless adjective
• unhusbanded adjective

Etymology

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 ( boor ) + -nd present participle suffix + -i inflectional ending)

Example Sentences

My husband of 39 years passed away suddenly at age 68.

From MarketWatch

One lesson that resonated: When people reach a certain age, they don’t want to travel, so she and her husband are budgeting for future trips.

From The Wall Street Journal

The shift liberates her holiday shopping, says Nussen, lead lighting designer at Consumer’s Lighting, a company she runs with her husband.

From The Wall Street Journal

He argued his mother's application was "incorrect and misleading", claiming she bought a separate property with her husband in Pandy.

From BBC

And on Burke’s cell, including once on her husband’s cell as ProPublica tried to find a direct way to contact Burke.

From Salon

Related Words

• companion
• partner
• spouse