black widow
/blæk ˈwɪdoʊ/
noun
Origin
English
black + widow — Referring to the dark color of the female spider and the behavioral trope of the 'widow' that kills her partner.
Overview
Meaning Now
- A venomous spider of the genus Latrodectus, known for the female's habit of consuming the male after mating.
- A woman who kills her husband or husbands.
Language path
Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
black widow
Earliest period
19th century
Journey
The term became popularized in North American English during the late 19th century as naturalists described the behavior of Latrodectus mactans, noting that the female often kills the male during or after copulation, hence the anthropomorphic label.
Evolution
- Old English
blæc + widewe
“dark color + woman who has lost her spouse”
Compound formation of the two constituent words.
- 19th century
black widow
“Specifically Latrodectus mactans”
Applied to the spider based on the female's sexual cannibalism.
Connections
Word parts
black
root
dark, absent of light
widow
root
a woman whose spouse has died
Related across languages
German
schwarze Witwe
black widow
French
veuve noire
black widow
Related words
Explore next
Related to black widow
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.