husband

[huhz-buhnd]

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.

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

/ ˈhʌzbənd /

noun

1. a woman's partner in marriage

2. archaic

   1. a manager of an estate

   2. a frugal person

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of husband¹

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)

Word History and Origins

Origin of husband¹

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

Example Sentences

Don’t miss: ‘I feel slighted’: My husband and I are in our 70s.

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Mrs Jauncey moved to Jersey with her husband who was born and raised there.

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Her husband and his cousin were taken for burial – their white coffins carried by black-clad mourners through streets brimming with grief.

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"I wouldn't give him the time of day," her husband Frank adds.

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Monroe, 38, did much of the repair work herself while she, her husband and toddler stayed with her father-in-law.

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Related Words

• companion 
• partner 
• spouse