old wife
The term 'old wife' has diverse meanings, ranging from a description of an elderly woman to various species of marine fish, as well as cultural references.
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Definition
B2General
(neutral)A woman who is advanced in age and married.
Example
- The old wife sat by the fire, knitting a sweater for her grandson.
B2Cultural
(historical, informal)A term used to describe traditional beliefs or superstitions, often passed down orally.
Example
- Don't believe everything you hear; that's just an old wife's tale.
C1Marine Biology
(technical)A species of fish found in the coastal waters of Australia, scientifically known as Enoplosus armatus.
Example
- The old wife is easily recognizable by its distinctive black and white stripes.
C2Scottish
(regional)A chimney cap designed to prevent smoke from blowing back into the house.
Example
- The old wife on the chimney kept the house smoke-free even on windy days.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "old wife":
old womanold ladyold girllittle oldold manold maidold wives' taleold folkswife upold fellowold gentlemansome oldold timerany oldold friend