SPOUSE

spouse, partner, married person, mate, better half

(noun) a person’s partner in marriage

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

spouse (plural spouses)

A person in a marriage or marital relationship.

Synonyms

• spouse

Hyponyms

• husband

• wife

Verb

spouse (third-person singular simple present spouses, present participle spousing, simple past and past participle spoused)

(dated) To wed; to espouse.

Anagrams

• opuses

Source: Wiktionary

Spouse, n. Etym: [OF. espous, espos, fem. espouse, F. époux, épouse, fr. L. sponsus, sponsa, prop. p.p. of spondere, sponsum, to promise solemnly, to engage one's self. Cf. Despond, Espouse, respond, Sponsor.]

1. A man or woman engaged or joined in wedlock; a married person, husband or wife. At last such grace I found, and means I wrought, That that lady to my spouse had won. Spenser.

2. A married man, in distinct from a spousess or married woman; a bridegroom or husband. [Obs.] At which marriage was [were] no person present but the spouse, the spousess, the Duchess of Bedford her mother, the priest, two gentlewomen, and a young man. Fabyan.

Spouse, v. t. Etym: [See Espouse, and Spouse, n.]

Definition: To wed; to espouse. [Obs.] This markis hath her spoused with a ring. Chaucer. Though spoused, yet wanting wedlock's solemnize. Spenser. She was found again, and spoused to Marinell. Spenser.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition