husband

noun

1. 1

   A man in a marriage or marital relationship, especially in relation to his spouse.

   You should start dating so you can find a suitable husband.

   The husband and wife are one person in law.

   A great bargain also had been[…]the arm-chair in which Bunting now sat forward, staring into the dull, small fire. In fact, that arm-chair had been an extravagance of Mrs. Bunting. She had wanted her husband to be comfortable after the day's work was done, and she had paid thirty-seven shillings for the chair.

   But Sophia's mother was not the woman to brook defiance. After a few moments' vain remonstrance her husband complied. His manner and appearance were suggestive of a satiated sea-lion.

2. 2

   A manager of property; one who has the care of another's belongings, owndom, or interests; a steward; an economist.

3. 3

   archaicA prudent or frugal manager.

   God knows how little time is left me, and may I be a good husband, to improve the short remnant thereof.

4. 4

   datedThe master of a house; the head of a family; a householder.

5. 5

   A tiller of the ground; a husbandman.

   […] a withered tree, through husbands toyle, Is often seene full freshly to have florisht […]

   The painfull husband plowing up his ground, Shall finde all fret and rust both pikes and shields

   He is the neatest husband for curious ordering his domestick and field accommodations.

6. 6

   The male of a pair of animals.

   Husband of the Herd

7. 7

   A large cushion with arms meant to support a person in the sitting position.

   While reading her book, Sally leaned back against her husband, wishing it were the human kind.

8. 8

   A polled tree; a pollard.

verb

1. 1

   To manage or administer carefully and frugally; use to the best advantage; economise.

   And for my meanes, I'll husband them so well, They shall go farre with little.

2. 2

   To conserve.

   1719, Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe ...I found pens, ink, and paper, and I husbanded them to the utmost; and I shall show that while my ink lasted, I kept things very exact, but after that was gone I could not, for I could not make any ink by any means that I could devise.

3. 3

   obsoleteTo till; cultivate; farm; nurture.

   Land so trim and rarely husbanded.

4. 4

   archaicTo provide with a husband.

   Thinke you, I am no ſtronger then my Sex Being ſo Father'd, and ſo Husbanded?

5. 5

   To engage or act as a husband to; assume the care of or responsibility for; accept as one's own.

Forms

plural

husbands

past tense

husbanded

past participle

husbanded

present participle

husbanding

third person singular

husbands