spouse
[ noun spous, spouz; verb spouz, spous ]
/ noun spaʊs, spaʊz; verb spaʊz, spaʊs /
noun
either member of a married pair in relation to the other; one's husband or wife.
verb (used with object), spoused, spous·ing.
Obsolete.
to join, give, or take in marriage.
Origin of spouse
1150–1200; (noun) Middle English < Old French
spous (masculine),
spouse (feminine) (aphetic for
espous, espouse) < Latin
spōnsus,
spōnsa literally, pledged (man, woman) (noun uses of past participle of
spondēre to pledge), equivalent to
spond- verb stem +
-tus, -ta past participle suffix; (v.) Middle English
spousen < Old French
esp(o)user; cf.
espouse
OTHER WORDS FROM spouse
spouse·hood, noun spouse·less, adjective un·spoused, adjectiveWords nearby spouse
Example sentences from the Web for spouse
British Dictionary definitions for spouse
spouse
noun (spaʊs, spaʊz)
a person's partner in marriage
Related adjective: spousal
verb (spaʊz, spaʊs)
(tr) obsolete
to marry
Word Origin for spouse
C12: from Old French
spus (masculine),
spuse (feminine), from Latin
sponsus, sponsa betrothed man or woman, from
spondēre to promise solemnly