wifebeater

or wife-beat·er

[ wahyf-bee-ter ]

noun
  1. a man who beats his wife.

  2. Slang: Offensive. a white, sleeveless, close-fitting man’s undershirt, often worn as an outer shirt.

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Origin of wifebeater

1
First recorded in 1650–60 for def. 1 and in 1990–95 for def. 2; wife + beater

Words Nearby wifebeater

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wifebeater in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wife-beater

wife-beater

noun
  1. a man who hits his wife

Derived forms of wife-beater

  • wife-beating, noun

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