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

• husbandless adjective
• husbander noun
• 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

She told Guthrie that she learned of her husband’s diagnosis a few weeks before she ran the 26.2-mile route.

From Los Angeles Times

As an army wife, she was expected to follow her husband on assignment to Hong Kong and Germany.

From BBC

She is survived by her husband, the Duke of Kent, aged 89, and their two sons and a daughter.

From BBC

Realistically, my husband and I would probably end the day by binge-watching bad reality TV to decompress and disassociate for a little bit — something like “Love Island.”

From Los Angeles Times

She and her husband Herbert “Bertie” Pelham are happily raising two children and she has become a voice of reason for Mary, offering counsel to the sister who once overshadowed her.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• companion 
• partner 
• spouse