spouse
/spaʊ̯s/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.95 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A person in a marriage or marital relationship.
Example Sentences
- "People should treat their spouses with respect."
- "At last such grace I found, and meanes I wrought, / That I that Ladie to my spouse had wonne"
- "But mama got wise to the game / The youngest of five kids, hon here it is / After ten years without no spouse / Mama's gettin married in the house"
- "Do you stand possess’d Of any proof against the honourableness Of Lady Auranthe, our new-spoused daughter?"
Etymology
From Middle English spous, spouse, from Anglo-Norman espus m, espuse f and Old French espos m, espose f and by aphesis from Latin spōnsus m (“bridegroom”), spōnsa f (“bride”), from spondeō (“to vow, pledge”), from Proto-Indo-European *spend-. Displaced native Old English ġemaca. Related to espouse and sponsor.