Illustration of black widow
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
Examples of black widow in a Sentence
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The name refers to the black widow spider, whose female is known for killing the male after mating — a metaphor that underscores the cold and calculated betrayal at the heart of the case.
—
Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 30 May 2025
In 1939, the London Zoo killed more than 200 animals, starting with the black widow spiders and venomous snakes.
—John M. Kinder, The Conversation, 1 May 2025
Javadi winds up working on one of her mother’s Crohn’s patients and realizes this woman isn’t suffering from a perforated bowel but rather from a black widow spider bite.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
And disconcerting moments are in the show, such as the larger-than-life black widow spiders that dangle from the ceiling.
—Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2025
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Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 30 May 2025
In 1939, the London Zoo killed more than 200 animals, starting with the black widow spiders and venomous snakes.
—John M. Kinder, The Conversation, 1 May 2025
Javadi winds up working on one of her mother’s Crohn’s patients and realizes this woman isn’t suffering from a perforated bowel but rather from a black widow spider bite.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025
And disconcerting moments are in the show, such as the larger-than-life black widow spiders that dangle from the ceiling.
—Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for black widow
Cite this Entry
“Black widow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20widow. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical 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
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