black widow

noun

: a venomous New World spider (Latrodectus mactans of the family Theridiidae) the female of which is black with an hourglass-shaped red mark on the underside of the abdomen
broadly : any of various related venomous spiders that have a large globular, usually glossy, dark abdomen often marked with red and long and wiry legs

Illustration of black widow

Illustration of black widow

Examples of black widow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This includes brown and black widows and brown recluse. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 2 Apr. 2026 She's rumored to be a black widow who has inherited a lot of money from her husbands. — Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 17 May 2026 Two women friends, black widows in their youth, are forced back into action, but are rather rusty, need rapid retraining. — John Hopewell, Variety, 25 Nov. 2025 The Southern black widow sets up shop close to the ground, whereas a Northern black widow often prefers a higher place to weave a web. — Eva Flowe may 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for black widow

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of black widow was in 1830

Rhymes for black widow

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Browse Nearby Words

black-whiskered vireo
black widow
black wildebeest
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Cite this Entry

“Black widow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20widow. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

black widow

noun
: a poisonous New World spider the female of which is black with an hourglass-shaped red mark on the underside of the abdomen

Medical Definition

black widow

noun
black wid·​ow -ˈwid-ˌō How to pronounce black widow (audio)
: a venomous New World spider of the genus Latrodectus (L. mactans) the female of which is black with an hourglass-shaped red mark on the underside of the abdomen
broadly : any other spider of the genus Latrodectus

More from Merriam-Webster on black widow

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about black widow

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