"wive" meaning in English

See wive in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

IPA: /waɪv/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wive.wav [Southern-England] Forms: wives [present, singular, third-person], wiving [participle, present], wived [participle, past], wived [past]
Rhymes: -aɪv Etymology: From Middle English wiven, iwiven, from Old English wīfian, wīfiġan, ġewīfian (“to take a wife; marry”). Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|wiven}} Middle English wiven, {{inh|en|ang|wīfian}} Old English wīfian Head templates: {{en-verb}} wive (third-person singular simple present wives, present participle wiving, simple past and past participle wived)
  1. (ambitransitive) To marry (a woman). Tags: ambitransitive Synonyms: bewife, take to wife, wife Translations (to marry (a woman)): marr (Albanian), женя се (ženja se) (Bulgarian), edzinigi (Esperanto), heiraten (German), zur Frau nehmen (German), esposar (Portuguese), casar (Portuguese), căsători (Romanian), жени́ться (ženítʹsja) [imperfective] (Russian), пожени́ться (poženítʹsja) [perfective] (Russian), மணக்க (maṇakka) (Tamil)
    Sense id: en-wive-en-verb-lyXBNVE5 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 2 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Albanian translations, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Esperanto translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Tamil translations, Marriage Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 90 10 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 79 21 Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 48 11 35 6 Disambiguation of Pages with 2 entries: 55 9 32 4 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 51 5 41 2 Disambiguation of Terms with Albanian translations: 85 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 85 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Esperanto translations: 85 15 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 85 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 85 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 85 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 85 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Tamil translations: 85 15 Disambiguation of Marriage: 100 0 Disambiguation of 'to marry (a woman)': 98 2
  2. (transitive) To provide (someone) with a wife. Tags: transitive Synonyms: bewife
    Sense id: en-wive-en-verb-NLAfcD9b
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: unwive

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "unwive"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "wiven"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English wiven",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "wīfian"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English wīfian",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English wiven, iwiven, from Old English wīfian, wīfiġan, ġewīfian (“to take a wife; marry”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "wives",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wiving",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wived",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wived",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "wive (third-person singular simple present wives, present participle wiving, simple past and past participle wived)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "90 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "79 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "48 11 35 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "55 9 32 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 2 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "51 5 41 2",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "85 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Albanian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "85 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "85 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Esperanto translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "85 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "85 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "85 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Romanian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "85 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "85 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Tamil translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "100 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Marriage",
          "orig": "en:Marriage",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              105,
              109
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:",
          "text": "If he have the condition of a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To marry (a woman)."
      ],
      "id": "en-wive-en-verb-lyXBNVE5",
      "links": [
        [
          "marry",
          "marry"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(ambitransitive) To marry (a woman)."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "bewife"
        },
        {
          "word": "take to wife"
        },
        {
          "word": "wife"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "ambitransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "sq",
          "lang": "Albanian",
          "lang_code": "sq",
          "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
          "word": "marr"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "lang_code": "bg",
          "roman": "ženja se",
          "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
          "word": "женя се"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "lang_code": "eo",
          "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
          "word": "edzinigi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "lang_code": "de",
          "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
          "word": "heiraten"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "lang_code": "de",
          "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
          "word": "zur Frau nehmen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "lang_code": "pt",
          "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
          "word": "esposar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "lang_code": "pt",
          "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
          "word": "casar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "lang_code": "ro",
          "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
          "word": "căsători"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "ženítʹsja",
          "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "жени́ться"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "poženítʹsja",
          "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "пожени́ться"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ta",
          "lang": "Tamil",
          "lang_code": "ta",
          "roman": "maṇakka",
          "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
          "word": "மணக்க"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To provide (someone) with a wife."
      ],
      "id": "en-wive-en-verb-NLAfcD9b",
      "links": [
        [
          "wife",
          "wife"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To provide (someone) with a wife."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "bewife"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/waɪv/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wive.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/53/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wive.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wive.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/53/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wive.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wive.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-aɪv"
    }
  ],
  "word": "wive"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Old English",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English non-lemma forms",
    "Middle English noun forms",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old English",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Old English",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/aɪv",
    "Rhymes:English/aɪv/1 syllable",
    "Terms with Albanian translations",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Esperanto translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Romanian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Tamil translations",
    "en:Marriage"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "unwive"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "wiven"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English wiven",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "wīfian"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English wīfian",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English wiven, iwiven, from Old English wīfian, wīfiġan, ġewīfian (“to take a wife; marry”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "wives",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wiving",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wived",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wived",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "wive (third-person singular simple present wives, present participle wiving, simple past and past participle wived)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              105,
              109
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:",
          "text": "If he have the condition of a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To marry (a woman)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "marry",
          "marry"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(ambitransitive) To marry (a woman)."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "bewife"
        },
        {
          "word": "take to wife"
        },
        {
          "word": "wife"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "ambitransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To provide (someone) with a wife."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "wife",
          "wife"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To provide (someone) with a wife."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "bewife"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/waɪv/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wive.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/53/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wive.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wive.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/53/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wive.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wive.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-aɪv"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "sq",
      "lang": "Albanian",
      "lang_code": "sq",
      "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
      "word": "marr"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "lang_code": "bg",
      "roman": "ženja se",
      "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
      "word": "женя се"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "lang_code": "eo",
      "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
      "word": "edzinigi"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
      "word": "heiraten"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
      "word": "zur Frau nehmen"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
      "word": "esposar"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
      "word": "casar"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "lang_code": "ro",
      "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
      "word": "căsători"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "ženítʹsja",
      "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "жени́ться"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "poženítʹsja",
      "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "пожени́ться"
    },
    {
      "code": "ta",
      "lang": "Tamil",
      "lang_code": "ta",
      "roman": "maṇakka",
      "sense": "to marry (a woman)",
      "word": "மணக்க"
    }
  ],
  "word": "wive"
}

Download raw JSONL data for wive meaning in English (4.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-09 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (ccec6f1 and 4deed51). 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.