cuckold
(redirected from cuckolds)Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical.
?Note: This page may contain content that is offensive or inappropriate for some readers.
cuck·old
(kŭk′əld, ko͝ok′-)n.
A man whose spouse or romantic partner is unfaithful.
tr.v. cuck·old·ed, cuck·old·ing, cuck·olds
To make a cuckold of.
[Middle English cokewald, from Anglo-Norman *cucuald, from cucu, the cuckoo, from Vulgar Latin *cuccūlus, from Latin cucūlus.]
Word History: The allusion to the cuckoo on which the word cuckold is based may not be appreciated by those unfamiliar with the nesting habits of certain varieties of this bird. The female of some cuckoos lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, leaving them to be cared for by the resident nesters. This parasitic tendency has given the female bird a figurative reputation for unfaithfulness as well. Hence in Old French we find the word cucuault, composed of cocu, "cuckoo, cuckold," and the pejorative suffix -ald, used to designate a husband whose wife has wandered afield like the female cuckoo. An earlier assumed form of the Old French word was borrowed into Middle English by way of Anglo-Norman. Middle English cokewold, the ancestor of Modern English cuckold, is first recorded in a work written around 1250.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
cuckold
(ˈkʌkəld)n
a man whose spouse has committed adultery, often regarded as an object of scorn
vb
(tr) to make a cuckold of
[C13 cukeweld, from Old French cucuault, from cucu cuckoo; perhaps an allusion to the parasitic cuckoos that lay their eggs in the nests of other birds]
ˈcuckoldry n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
cuck•old
(ˈkʌk əld)n.
1. the husband of an unfaithful wife.
v.t. 2. to make a cuckold of (a husband).
[1200–50; Middle English cukeweld, later cok(k)ewold, cukwold < Anglo-French *cucuald]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
cuckold
Past participle: cuckolded
Gerund: cuckolding
| Imperative |
|---|
| cuckold |
| cuckold |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | cuckold - a man whose wife committed adultery wittol - an archaic term for a cuckold who knows about his wife's infidelity but tolerates it |
| Verb | 1. |  cuckold - be sexually unfaithful to one's partner in marriage; "She cheats on her husband"; "Might her husband be wandering?"two-time - carry on a romantic relationship with two people at the same time play around, fool around - commit adultery; "he plays around a lot" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
paroháč
bedriegende hoorns opzettenhoorndrageronder de kluiten schieten
przyprawić komuś rogirogacz
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
cuckold
n → Hahnrei m (old), → betrogener Ehemann
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995