husband

Meanings

Noun

• The master of a house; the head of a family; a householder.
• A tiller of the ground; a husbandman.
• A prudent or frugal manager.
• A man in a marriage or marital relationship, especially in relation to his spouse.
• The male of a pair of animals.
• A manager of property; one who has the care of another's belongings, owndom, or interests; a steward; an economist.
• A large cushion with arms meant to support a person in the sitting position.
• A polled tree; a pollard.

Verb

• To manage or administer carefully and frugally; use to the best advantage; economise.
• To conserve.
• To till; cultivate; farm; nurture.
• To provide with a husband.
• To engage or act as a husband to; assume the care of or responsibility for; accept as one's own.

Related

Opposite words

• wife

Broader meaning words

• wedder
• partner (may or may not be married)
• spouse (may also apply to wife)

Origin

• From Middle English husbonde, housbonde, from Old English hūsbonda, hūsbunda, from Old Norse húsbóndi, from hús + bóndi, equivalent to house + bond.
• Bond in turn represents a formation derived from the present participle of West Scandinavian , East Scandinavian = to build, plow; compare German bauen, Bauende. Cognate with Icelandic húsbóndi ("head of household"), Faroese húsbóndi ("husband"), Norwegian husbond ("head of household, husband"), Swedish husbonde ("master"), Danish husbond ("husband") (< Old Danish husbonde).