Side-wife

Quick meaning: Side-wife is a noun meaning A woman who (among others) has the potential to become one's wife, or who is fulfilling the role of one's wife in addition to one's actual wife; a concubine.

Meaning

A woman who (among others) has the potential to become one's wife, or who is fulfilling the role of one's wife in addition to one's actual wife; a concubine.

Example Sentences

A gilly (or sheevin) is a side-wife taken by a man who already has a legal wife.

She was also a 'sidewife'. Nobody talks about it because she is a rich entrepreneur.

If, however, his wife gave him a handmaiden and he had children by her, he was then barred from taking a side-wife (as a concubine was called).

For one who has no husband, as well as for one who acts as a side-wife for a person, who has formed a household, or who lives elsewhere and is not enumerated together [with a husband or children on a population register], […]

Word Forms

• side-wives
• sidewife

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include co-wife, concubine, sister-wife, stepwife, nonwife, wife-in-law.

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