wife /wf/→ n. (pl. wives /wvz/) 1 妻, 夫人, 女房, 人妻. ・husband [man] and wife 夫婦, 夫妻. ・a man and his wife 男とその妻. ・one's wedded [lawful] wife 正妻 (cf. mistress 9, concubine). ・have [take] a wife 〈男が〉結婚する. ・She made him a good wife.＝She made a good wife for him. 彼のよい妻になった. ・I'd like to introduce my wife. 家内を紹介します. 2a 《古》 女性; 田舎の女性. ・an old wife 老婆; おしゃべりばあさん. ・⇒old wives' tale. b [複合語の第二構成素として] (…を職業とする)女性. ・fishwife, housewife, midwife. (ll) the wrld and his wfe ⇒world 成句. gve [tke, hve] a woman to wfe 《古》 〈女を〉嫁にやる[妻にめとる]. ・I will give you my daughter to wife. 娘を君の嫁にやろう. Wfe of Bth [the ―] バースの女房《G. Chaucer の The Canterbury Tales の登場人物; 5 人の夫と死別した女で, あけすけなセックスの話をする》. vi., vt. 《まれ》 ＝wive. OE wf woman, wife ＜ Gmc wf (Du. wijf / G Weib) ← ? IE weip- to turn, twist (L nupta bride ((fem. p.p.) ← nbere to cover oneself for the bridegroom, marry)): 《原義》 the veiled or hidden one: cf. woman