widow’s weeds

American  

[wid-ohz weedz] / ˈwɪd oʊz ˈwidz /

plural noun

1. mourning clothes worn by a woman after the death of her spouse.

   She was still in widow’s weeds, but starting to attend more social engagements.

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Etymology

Origin of widow’s weeds

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

widow’s weeds

A big, poofy white tutu is the antithesis of widow’s weeds.

From New York Times ● Jan. 5, 2022

Glazed with jet lag, I found myself staring unabashedly into the cart of an old woman in widow's weeds.

From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2019

Please stop imposing some Victorian mandate that she must wear widow’s weeds for some period of time that you dictate.

From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2014

Victoria was already dead, but had lived into the 20th century as Britain's longest-surviving monarch, still dressed in her archaic widow's weeds.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 2, 2012

She was dressed in widow's weeds, which became her very fair face amazingly, and led by the hand a rosy, curly-headed urchin, whose claims to general admiration were by no means contemptible.

From The Monctons A Novel: Volume 2 (of 2) by Susanna Moodie