English

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Etymology

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From Middle English ald wyf, eld wiif, olde wyffe.

Noun

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old wife (plural old wives)

  1. An old woman, later especially one who tells old wives' tales. [from 9th c.]
  2. Any of various marine fishes [from 16th c.]:
    Alternative form: oldwife
    1. the alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus)
    2. A species of perciform fish endemic to the temperate coastal waters of Australia (Enoplosus armatus)
    3. Balistes vetula (Queen triggerfish)
    4. Certain spot-tail porgies (Diplodus ascensionis, Diplodus helenae)
    5. Spondyliosoma cantharus (black seabream)
    6. Trachinotus goodei (great pompano)
    7. A wrasse
  3. (Canada, US, now rare) The long-tailed duck, Clangula hyemalis. [from 17th c.]
    Synonyms: oldsquaw, quandy
    • 1634, William Wood, “Of the Birds and Fowles both of Land and Water”, in New Englands Prospect. A True, Lively, and Experimentall Description of that Part of America, Commonly Called New England; [], London: [] Tho[mas] Cotes, for Iohn Bellamie, [], →OCLC, 1st part, page 31:
      The Oldvvives, be a foule that never leave tatling day or night, ſomething bigger than a Ducke.
  4. (Scotland) A chimney cap to prevent smoking. [from 19th c.]

Derived terms

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References

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