black widow

noun

: a venomous New World spider (Latrodectus mactans of the family Theridiidae) the female of which is black with an hourglass-shaped red mark on the underside of the abdomen

broadly : any of various related venomous spiders that have a large globular, usually glossy, dark abdomen often marked with red and long and wiry legs

Illustration of black widow

Examples of black widow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This led to talk of wharf rats, New York City rats, black widows, brown recluses, and the redback spiders of Australia, but, as inevitably happens with elvermen, the conversation returned to eels. —Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024

Brown recluse Northern black widow Wolf spider Fishing spider Jumping spider Wolf spider Wolf spiders are usually confused with tarantulas and brown recluse spiders. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 14 June 2024

Of those that can bite, only the black widow and the brown recluse can cause rare but serious problems. —Amanda Gardner, Health, 27 May 2024

Critter calendar:All of the bugs that come out in spring in Arizona, from lady bugs to black widows Are carpenter bees dangerous? Carpenter bees are generally not considered dangerous to humans. —Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 13 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

black widow

noun

: a poisonous New World spider the female of which is black with an hourglass-shaped red mark on the underside of the abdomen

Medical Definition

black widow

noun

black wid·​ow -ˈwid-ˌō 

: a venomous New World spider of the genus Latrodectus (L. mactans) the female of which is black with an hourglass-shaped red mark on the underside of the abdomen

broadly : any other spider of the genus Latrodectus