war bride

American  

noun

1. a woman who marries a serviceman about to go overseas in wartime.

2. a woman who marries a foreign serviceman and goes to live in his country.

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war bride British  

noun

1. a soldier's bride met as a result of troop movements in wartime, esp a foreign national

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Etymology

Origin of war bride

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Her mother, Setsuko Takechi, a Japanese war bride like the five characters in “Tea,” gathered for tea once a month with her Japanese friends.

From Los Angeles Times

He left for the United States that December, and she followed a few months later on a Red Cross ship ferrying hundreds of Italian war brides.

From Washington Post

The following May, Nancy joined 2,000 “war brides” on the Queen Mary, headed to America.

From Seattle Times

Her ship, full of war brides, zig-zagged across the Atlantic to evade U-boats.

From BBC

A Frenchman in postwar Europe poses as a war bride to avoid the red tape involved in emigrating to the United States.

From Los Angeles Times