Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
WIDOW
I. noun
Etymology: Middle English widewe, from Old English wuduwe; akin to Old High German wituwa widow, Latin vidua, Sanskrit vidhavā, Latin -videre to separate Date: before 12th century
1. a woman who has lost her husband by death and usually has not remarried, grass widow 2, a woman whose husband leaves her alone frequently or for long periods to engage in a usually specified activity , an extra hand or part of a hand of cards dealt face down and usually placed at the disposal of the highest bidder, a single usually short last line (as of a paragraph) separated from its related text and appearing at the top of a printed page or column,
II. transitive verb
Date: 14th century
to cause to become a widow or widower, to survive as the widow of, to deprive of something greatly valued or needed