widow's chamber

2 definitions found

widow's chamber - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Widow \Wid"ow\ (w[i^]d"[-o]), n. [OE. widewe, widwe, AS.
     weoduwe, widuwe, wuduwe; akin to OFries. widwe, OS. widowa,
     D. weduwe, G. wittwe, witwe, OHG. wituwa, witawa, Goth.
     widuw[=o], Russ. udova, OIr. fedb, W. gweddw, L. vidua, Skr.
     vidhav[=a]; and probably to Skr. vidh to be empty, to lack;
     cf. Gr. "hi`qeos a bachelor. [root]248. Cf. Vidual.]
     A woman who has lost her husband by death, and has not
     married again; one living bereaved of a husband. "A poor
     widow." --Chaucer.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Card Playing) In various games (such as "hearts"), any
        extra hand or part of a hand, as one dealt to the table.
        It may be taken by one of the players under certain
        circumstances.
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  
     Grass widow. See under Grass.
  
     Widow bewitched, a woman separated from her husband; a
        grass widow. [Colloq.]
  
     Widow-in-mourning (Zool.), the macavahu.
  
     Widow monkey (Zool.), a small South American monkey
        (Callithrix lugens); -- so called on account of its
        color, which is black except the dull whitish arms, neck,
        and face, and a ring of pure white around the face.
  
     Widow's chamber (Eng. Law), in London, the apparel and
        furniture of the bedchamber of the widow of a freeman, to
        which she was formerly entitled.
        [1913 Webster]

widow's chamber - Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) :

  WIDOW'S CHAMBER, Eng. law. In London the apparel of a widow and the 
  furniture of her chamber, left by her deceased husband, is so called, and 
  the widow is entitled to it. 2 Bl. Com. 518.