See old wife on Wiktionary
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "ald wyf"
},
"expansion": "Middle English ald wyf",
"name": "inh"
}
],
"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": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "15 11 12 5 8 5 5 5 6 10 18",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "16 13 15 7 10 3 3 3 3 8 18",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "14 13 15 6 10 5 5 5 5 7 16",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"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"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1902 January, John Buchan, “The Outgoing of the Tide”, in The Watcher by the Threshold, and Other Tales, Edinburgh, London: William Blackwood and Sons, published 1902, →OCLC, pages 230–231:",
"text": "Once John, being overtaken in drink on the roadside by the cottage, and dreaming that he was burning in hell, awoke and saw the old wife hobbling toward him. Thereupon he fled soberly to the hills, and from that day became a quiet-living, humble-minded Christian.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"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": [
{
"_dis": "15 11 12 5 8 5 5 5 6 10 18",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "16 13 15 7 10 3 3 3 3 8 18",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "14 13 15 6 10 5 5 5 5 7 16",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Any of various marine fishes :",
"the alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus)"
],
"id": "en-old_wife-en-noun-YCZBX8F5",
"links": [
[
"fish",
"fish"
],
[
"alewife",
"alewife"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "15 11 12 5 8 5 5 5 6 10 18",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "16 13 15 7 10 3 3 3 3 8 18",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "14 13 15 6 10 5 5 5 5 7 16",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "13 14 19 6 8 4 4 4 4 9 15",
"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": "9 12 30 5 7 5 5 5 7 5 10",
"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": "10 12 29 5 7 5 5 5 7 5 10",
"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": "9 11 31 5 7 5 5 5 7 4 9",
"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": "10 12 29 5 7 5 5 5 7 5 10",
"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": "9 12 30 5 7 5 5 5 7 5 10",
"kind": "lifeform",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Tetraodontiforms",
"orig": "en:Tetraodontiforms",
"parents": [
"Fish",
"Vertebrates",
"Chordates",
"Animals",
"Lifeforms",
"All topics",
"Life",
"Fundamental",
"Nature"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "9 11 28 5 7 5 5 9 6 4 10",
"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": [
{
"_dis": "16 13 15 7 10 3 3 3 3 8 18",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"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"
]
]
},
{
"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"
],
"id": "en-old_wife-en-noun-w2CiKZRl",
"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"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1634, William Wood, “Of the Birds and Fowles both of Land and Water”, in New Englands Prospect. A True, Lively, and Experimentall Description of that Part of America, Commonly Called New England; […], London: […] Tho[mas] Cotes, for Iohn Bellamie, […], →OCLC, 1st part, page 31:",
"text": "The Oldvvives, be a foule that never leave tatling day or night, ſomething bigger than a Ducke.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"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"
},
{
"_dis": "15 11 12 5 8 5 5 5 6 10 18",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "16 13 15 7 10 3 3 3 3 8 18",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "14 13 15 6 10 5 5 5 5 7 16",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"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 lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English nouns",
"English terms derived from Middle English",
"English terms inherited from Middle English",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"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": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "ald wyf"
},
"expansion": "Middle English ald wyf",
"name": "inh"
}
],
"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": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1902 January, John Buchan, “The Outgoing of the Tide”, in The Watcher by the Threshold, and Other Tales, Edinburgh, London: William Blackwood and Sons, published 1902, →OCLC, pages 230–231:",
"text": "Once John, being overtaken in drink on the roadside by the cottage, and dreaming that he was burning in hell, awoke and saw the old wife hobbling toward him. Thereupon he fled soberly to the hills, and from that day became a quiet-living, humble-minded Christian.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"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"
]
]
},
{
"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"
],
"links": [
[
"fish",
"fish"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"Any of various marine fishes :"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"American English",
"Canadian English",
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with rare senses"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1634, William Wood, “Of the Birds and Fowles both of Land and Water”, in New Englands Prospect. A True, Lively, and Experimentall Description of that Part of America, Commonly Called New England; […], London: […] Tho[mas] Cotes, for Iohn Bellamie, […], →OCLC, 1st part, page 31:",
"text": "The Oldvvives, be a foule that never leave tatling day or night, ſomething bigger than a Ducke.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"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"
}
Download raw JSONL data for old wife meaning in All languages combined (4.5kB)
{
"called_from": "page/1498/20230118",
"msg": "''Any of various marine fishes :'[...]' gloss has examples we want to keep, but there are subglosses.",
"path": [
"old wife"
],
"section": "English",
"subsection": "noun",
"title": "old wife",
"trace": ""
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-25 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-20 using wiktextract (c15a5ce and 5c11237). 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.