c. 1200, "a married person, either one of a married pair, but especially a married woman in relation to her husband," also "Christ or God as the spiritual husband of the soul, the church, etc.," also "marriage, the wedded state," from Old French spous (fem. spouse) "marriage partner," variant of espous/espouse (Modern French épous/épouse), from Latin sponsus "bridegroom" (fem. sponsa "bride"), literally "betrothed," from masc. and fem. past participle of spondere "to bind oneself, promise solemnly," from PIE *spend- "to make an offering, perform a rite" (see sponsor (n.)). Spouse-breach (early 13c.) was an old name for "adultery."

"marriage, wedlock," mid-14c., from spouse (n.) + -age.

1510s, "pertaining to marriage," from spouse (n.) + -al (1).

"formally wedded, united in wedlock, having a spouse," late 14c., past-participle adjective from marry (v.).

"divination by means of melted wax dripped in water" (the shapes supposedly previsioning a future spouse, etc.), 1650s, from French ceromancie, Medieval Latin ceromantia; see cero-  "wax" + -mancy "divination by means of."

late 14c., moder-in-laue, "mother of one's spouse," from mother (n.1) + in-law. Also in early use, "stepmother." In British slang c. 1884, mother-in-law was said to mean "a mixture of ales old and bitter."

late 14c., from Old French esposailles (plural) "act of betrothal" (12c., Modern French époussailles), from Latin sponsalia "betrothal, espousal, wedding," noun use of neuter plural of sponsalis "of a betrothal," from sponsa "spouse" (see espouse). For the -e- see e-. Figuratively, of causes, principles, etc., from 1670s.

also (incorrectly) Xantippe, late 16c., spouse of Socrates (5c. B.C.E.), the prototype of the quarrelsome, nagging wife. The name is related to the masc. proper name Xanthippos, a compound of xanthos "yellow" (see xantho-) + hippos "horse" (from PIE root *ekwo- "horse").

fem. proper name, alternative form of Anna, from Latin Anna, from Greek, from Hebrew Hannah (see Hannah). In African-American vernacular, "white woman," also "a black woman who is considered to be acting 'too white;' " also Miss Ann (by 1926). She is the spouse of Mr. Charlie.

of humans, "having or permitted to have but one living and undivorced wife or husband at a time," 1778 (of animal pairings from 1770), from Medieval Latin monogamus, from Greek monogamos "marrying only once" (see monogamy). Also sometimes "not remarrying after the death of a spouse." Related: Monogamist (1650s); monogamistic.