Meanings
plural black widows
- Any of several species of venomous and potentially deadly spiders, particularly Latrodectus spp.
Looking out at the gloomy silent withered forests, Bond thought that nothing could be living in them except bats and scorpions, horned toads and black widow spiders.
1954, Ian Fleming, “The Everglades”, in Live and Let Die, London: Pan Books, published 1957, page 123 - A woman who kills one or more of her lovers.
- A female suicide bomber, sometimes one intending to avenge her husband who was killed.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounvenomous New World spider; the female is black with an hourglass-shaped red mark on the underside of the abdomen
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Afrikaans knopiespinnekop
- knopiespinnekopspecies of venomous spider
Catalan vídua negra, vídua negra
- vídua negraspecies of venomous spider
- vídua negrawoman who kills a lover
Danish sort enke
- sort enkespecies of venomous spider
Dutch zwarte weduwe, zwarte weduwe
- zwarte weduwespecies of venomous spider
- zwarte weduwewoman who kills a lover
Esperanto nigra vidvino, nigra vidvino
- nigra vidvinospecies of venomous spider
- nigra vidvinowoman who kills a lover
Finnish mustaleski, mustaleski
- mustaleskispecies of venomous spider
- mustaleskiwoman who kills a lover
French veuve noire, veuve noire
- veuve noirespecies of venomous spider
- veuve noirewoman who kills a lover
German schwarze Witwe, schwarze Witwe
- schwarze Witwespecies of venomous spider
- schwarze Witwewoman who kills a lover
Greek μαύρη χήρα, μαύρη χήρα
- μαύρη χήρα (mávri chíra)species of venomous spider
- μαύρη χήρα (mávri chíra)woman who kills a lover
Hebrew אַלְמָנָה שְׁחֹרָה
- אַלְמָנָה שְׁחֹרָה (almana sh'khora)species of venomous spider
Hungarian fekete özvegy pók, vöröshátú pók
- fekete özvegy pókspecies of venomous spider
- vöröshátú pókspecies of venomous spider
Irish baintreach dhubh
- baintreach dhubhspecies of venomous spider
Italian vedova nera, vedova nera
- vedova neraspecies of venomous spider
- vedova nerawoman who kills a lover
Norwegian sorte enke, sorte enke
- sorte enkespecies of venomous spider
- sorte enkewoman who kills a lover
Polish czarna wdowa
- czarna wdowaspecies of venomous spider
Portuguese viúva-negra, viúva-negra
- viúva-negraspecies of venomous spider
- viúva-negrawoman who kills a lover
Romanian văduvă neagră
- văduvă neagrăspecies of venomous spider
Russian чёрная вдова́, чёрная вдова́
- чёрная вдова́ (čórnaja vdová)species of venomous spider
- чёрная вдова́ (čórnaja vdová)woman who kills a lover
- чёрная вдова́ (čórnaja vdová)shaheed widow
- шахи́дка (šaxídka)shaheed widow
Spanish viuda negra, cazampulga
- viuda negraspecies of venomous spider
- cazampulgaspecies of venomous spider
- viuda negrawoman who kills a lover
- cazampulgawoman who kills a lover
Swedish svart änka
- svart änkaspecies of venomous spider
Turkish karadul, karadul
- karadulspecies of venomous spider
- karadulwoman who kills a lover
- karadulshaheed widow
Ukrainian чо́рна вдова́
- чо́рна вдова́ (čórna vdová)species of venomous spider
Cite this entry
black widow. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/black%20widow
“black widow.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/black%20widow. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “black widow,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/black%20widow.
Source: black widow on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.