Strohwitwe

German

Etymology

From Stroh + Witwe. First attested in the early 18th century.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈʃtʁoːvɪtvə/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: Stroh‧wit‧we

Noun

Strohwitwe f (genitive Strohwitwe, plural Strohwitwen, masculine Strohwitwer)

  1. (colloquial, humorous) grass widow (married woman whose spouse is away)
    Synonym: grüne Witwe
    • 1839, Karl Leberecht Immermann, Münchhausen, volume 4, Düsseldorf: Schaub, page 289:
      Himmlisch kannst du sprechen, Herzkind, und einer jungen Strohwitwe, die noch dazu das Unglück hat, selbst in ihren Landläufer von Gemahl verliebt zu sein, den Kopf schon verdrehen; aber kennst du die Welt, das taube, hartmäulige Tier?
      You can talk heavenly, sweet boy, and you can mess with the head of a young grass widow who is unfortunate enough to even love her vagabond of a husband; but do you know the world, the deaf, stubborn beast?

Declension

Further reading

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