"old wife" meaning in All languages combined

See old wife on Wiktionary

Noun [English]

Forms: old wives [plural]
Etymology: From Middle English ald wyf, eld wiif, olde wyffe. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|ald wyf}} Middle English ald wyf, {{m|enm|eld wiif}} eld wiif, {{m|enm|olde wyffe}} olde wyffe Head templates: {{en-noun|old wives}} old wife (plural old wives)
  1. An old woman, later especially one who tells old wives' tales. Derived forms: old-wifely, old-wifery, old-wifish, old wives' tale
    Sense id: en-old_wife-en-noun-jgtN4YIo
  2. Any of various marine fishes :
    the alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus)
    Sense id: en-old_wife-en-noun-YCZBX8F5
  3. Any of various marine fishes :
    A species of perciform fish endemic to the temperate coastal waters of Australia (Enoplosus armatus)
    Categories (lifeform): Herrings, Jackfish, Percoid fish, Sparids, Tetraodontiforms, Wrasses
    Sense id: en-old_wife-en-noun-yLh2HePy Disambiguation of Herrings: 7 6 27 6 6 6 6 6 8 13 8 Disambiguation of Jackfish: 6 6 25 6 6 6 6 7 7 17 9 Disambiguation of Percoid fish: 6 7 27 7 7 7 7 7 9 12 7 Disambiguation of Sparids: 7 6 25 6 6 6 6 6 8 13 9 Disambiguation of Tetraodontiforms: 7 6 27 6 6 6 6 6 8 13 8 Disambiguation of Wrasses: 6 6 21 6 6 6 6 20 7 11 7
  4. Any of various marine fishes :
    Balistes vetula (Queen triggerfish)
    Sense id: en-old_wife-en-noun-0paCa0gj
  5. Any of various marine fishes :
    Certain spot-tail porgies (Diplodus ascensionis, Diplodus helenae)
    Sense id: en-old_wife-en-noun-VEhSjTx9
  6. Any of various marine fishes :
    Spondyliosoma cantharus (black seabream)
    Sense id: en-old_wife-en-noun-lpR3uHQ-
  7. Any of various marine fishes :
    Trachinotus goodei (great pompano)
    Sense id: en-old_wife-en-noun-VLfIls~m
  8. Any of various marine fishes :
    A wrasse
    Categories (lifeform): Wrasses
    Sense id: en-old_wife-en-noun-E-Dpqa97 Disambiguation of Wrasses: 6 6 21 6 6 6 6 20 7 11 7
  9. Any of various marine fishes :
    Sense id: en-old_wife-en-noun-FwWqXjGS
  10. (Canada, US, now rare) The long-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalis. Tags: Canada, US, archaic Categories (lifeform): Ducks, Wrasses Synonyms: oldsquaw, quandy
    Sense id: en-old_wife-en-noun-BzwNbZmD Disambiguation of Ducks: 8 6 13 7 6 5 5 7 6 24 13 Disambiguation of Wrasses: 6 6 21 6 6 6 6 20 7 11 7 Categories (other): American English, Canadian English, English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with topic categories using raw markup, English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 12 9 9 5 7 5 5 9 5 22 14 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 7 5 12 6 5 6 4 12 4 28 12 Disambiguation of English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 10 7 10 6 6 6 6 7 6 23 12
  11. (Scotland) A chimney cap to prevent smoking. Tags: Scotland
    Sense id: en-old_wife-en-noun-CYSfhDIP Categories (other): Scottish English

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for old wife meaning in All languages combined (6.6kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "ald wyf"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English ald wyf",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "eld wiif"
      },
      "expansion": "eld wiif",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "olde wyffe"
      },
      "expansion": "olde wyffe",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English ald wyf, eld wiif, olde wyffe.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "old wives",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "old wives"
      },
      "expansion": "old wife (plural old wives)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "91 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
          "word": "old-wifely"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
          "word": "old-wifery"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
          "word": "old-wifish"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
          "word": "old wives' tale"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An old woman, later especially one who tells old wives' tales."
      ],
      "id": "en-old_wife-en-noun-jgtN4YIo",
      "links": [
        [
          "old woman",
          "old woman"
        ],
        [
          "old wives' tale",
          "old wives' tale"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :",
        "the alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus)"
      ],
      "id": "en-old_wife-en-noun-YCZBX8F5",
      "links": [
        [
          "fish",
          "fish"
        ],
        [
          "alewife",
          "alewife"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "7 6 27 6 6 6 6 6 8 13 8",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Herrings",
          "orig": "en:Herrings",
          "parents": [
            "Fish",
            "Otocephalan fish",
            "Vertebrates",
            "Chordates",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 6 25 6 6 6 6 7 7 17 9",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Jackfish",
          "orig": "en:Jackfish",
          "parents": [
            "Percoid fish",
            "Fish",
            "Vertebrates",
            "Chordates",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 7 27 7 7 7 7 7 9 12 7",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Percoid fish",
          "orig": "en:Percoid fish",
          "parents": [
            "Fish",
            "Vertebrates",
            "Chordates",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 6 25 6 6 6 6 6 8 13 9",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Sparids",
          "orig": "en:Sparids",
          "parents": [
            "Percoid fish",
            "Fish",
            "Vertebrates",
            "Chordates",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 6 27 6 6 6 6 6 8 13 8",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Tetraodontiforms",
          "orig": "en:Tetraodontiforms",
          "parents": [
            "Fish",
            "Vertebrates",
            "Chordates",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 6 21 6 6 6 6 20 7 11 7",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Wrasses",
          "orig": "en:Wrasses",
          "parents": [
            "Labroid fish",
            "Fish",
            "Vertebrates",
            "Chordates",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :",
        "A species of perciform fish endemic to the temperate coastal waters of Australia (Enoplosus armatus)"
      ],
      "id": "en-old_wife-en-noun-yLh2HePy",
      "links": [
        [
          "fish",
          "fish"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :",
        "Balistes vetula (Queen triggerfish)"
      ],
      "id": "en-old_wife-en-noun-0paCa0gj",
      "links": [
        [
          "fish",
          "fish"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :",
        "Certain spot-tail porgies (Diplodus ascensionis, Diplodus helenae)"
      ],
      "id": "en-old_wife-en-noun-VEhSjTx9",
      "links": [
        [
          "fish",
          "fish"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :",
        "Spondyliosoma cantharus (black seabream)"
      ],
      "id": "en-old_wife-en-noun-lpR3uHQ-",
      "links": [
        [
          "fish",
          "fish"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :",
        "Trachinotus goodei (great pompano)"
      ],
      "id": "en-old_wife-en-noun-VLfIls~m",
      "links": [
        [
          "fish",
          "fish"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "6 6 21 6 6 6 6 20 7 11 7",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Wrasses",
          "orig": "en:Wrasses",
          "parents": [
            "Labroid fish",
            "Fish",
            "Vertebrates",
            "Chordates",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :",
        "A wrasse"
      ],
      "id": "en-old_wife-en-noun-E-Dpqa97",
      "links": [
        [
          "fish",
          "fish"
        ],
        [
          "wrasse",
          "wrasse"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Alternative form: oldwife"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :",
        "Any of various marine fishes"
      ],
      "id": "en-old_wife-en-noun-FwWqXjGS",
      "links": [
        [
          "fish",
          "fish"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Canadian English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 9 9 5 7 5 5 9 5 22 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 5 12 6 5 6 4 12 4 28 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 7 10 6 6 6 6 7 6 23 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 6 13 7 6 5 5 7 6 24 13",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Ducks",
          "orig": "en:Ducks",
          "parents": [
            "Anatids",
            "Poultry",
            "Freshwater birds",
            "Birds",
            "Livestock",
            "Vertebrates",
            "Agriculture",
            "Animals",
            "Chordates",
            "Applied sciences",
            "Lifeforms",
            "Sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 6 21 6 6 6 6 20 7 11 7",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Wrasses",
          "orig": "en:Wrasses",
          "parents": [
            "Labroid fish",
            "Fish",
            "Vertebrates",
            "Chordates",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The long-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalis."
      ],
      "id": "en-old_wife-en-noun-BzwNbZmD",
      "links": [
        [
          "Canada",
          "Canada"
        ],
        [
          "US",
          "American English"
        ],
        [
          "long-tailed duck",
          "long-tailed duck"
        ],
        [
          "Clangula hyemalis",
          "Clangula hyemalis#Translingual"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Canada, US, now rare) The long-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalis."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "oldsquaw"
        },
        {
          "word": "quandy"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "US",
        "archaic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Scottish English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A chimney cap to prevent smoking."
      ],
      "id": "en-old_wife-en-noun-CYSfhDIP",
      "links": [
        [
          "chimney cap",
          "chimney cap"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Scotland) A chimney cap to prevent smoking."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Scotland"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "old wife"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "en:Ducks",
    "en:Herrings",
    "en:Jackfish",
    "en:Percoid fish",
    "en:Sparids",
    "en:Tetraodontiforms",
    "en:Wrasses"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "old-wifely"
    },
    {
      "word": "old-wifery"
    },
    {
      "word": "old-wifish"
    },
    {
      "word": "old wives' tale"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "ald wyf"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English ald wyf",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "eld wiif"
      },
      "expansion": "eld wiif",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "olde wyffe"
      },
      "expansion": "olde wyffe",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English ald wyf, eld wiif, olde wyffe.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "old wives",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "old wives"
      },
      "expansion": "old wife (plural old wives)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "An old woman, later especially one who tells old wives' tales."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "old woman",
          "old woman"
        ],
        [
          "old wives' tale",
          "old wives' tale"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Entries using missing taxonomic name (species)"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :",
        "the alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "fish",
          "fish"
        ],
        [
          "alewife",
          "alewife"
        ]
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    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Entries using missing taxonomic name (species)"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :",
        "A species of perciform fish endemic to the temperate coastal waters of Australia (Enoplosus armatus)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "fish",
          "fish"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Entries missing English vernacular names of taxa",
        "Entries using missing taxonomic name (species)"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :",
        "Balistes vetula (Queen triggerfish)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "fish",
          "fish"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Entries missing English vernacular names of taxa",
        "Entries using missing taxonomic name (species)"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :",
        "Certain spot-tail porgies (Diplodus ascensionis, Diplodus helenae)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "fish",
          "fish"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Entries missing English vernacular names of taxa",
        "Entries using missing taxonomic name (species)"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :",
        "Spondyliosoma cantharus (black seabream)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "fish",
          "fish"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Entries missing English vernacular names of taxa",
        "Entries using missing taxonomic name (species)"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :",
        "Trachinotus goodei (great pompano)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "fish",
          "fish"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :",
        "A wrasse"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "fish",
          "fish"
        ],
        [
          "wrasse",
          "wrasse"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Alternative form: oldwife"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :",
        "Any of various marine fishes"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "fish",
          "fish"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "Any of various marine fishes :"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "Canadian English",
        "English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The long-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalis."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Canada",
          "Canada"
        ],
        [
          "US",
          "American English"
        ],
        [
          "long-tailed duck",
          "long-tailed duck"
        ],
        [
          "Clangula hyemalis",
          "Clangula hyemalis#Translingual"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Canada, US, now rare) The long-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalis."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "oldsquaw"
        },
        {
          "word": "quandy"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "US",
        "archaic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Scottish English"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A chimney cap to prevent smoking."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "chimney cap",
          "chimney cap"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Scotland) A chimney cap to prevent smoking."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Scotland"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "old wife"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (93a6c53 and 21a9316). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.