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, adjective

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