widowhood means the state or period of being a widow or widower. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 80 out of 100.
widowhood is pronounced /ˈwɪd.əʊ.hʊd/.
Why “widowhood” is a great word
WIDOWHOOD — [Noun] The state or condition of being a widow or widower. From Middle English wydowhood, widewehad, equivalent to widow (from Old English widuwe) + the suffix -hood (denoting state or condition). Unlike "bereavement," a general term for loss, or "mourning," the active ritual of grief, widowhood is the permanent architecture of a life after its central pillar is removed. It is the undisturbed wrinkle on the far side of the bed, the single place-setting perpetually laid at the table, and the echo of a conversation that now has only one participant—a quiet, lifelong habitation of an absence that was once a person.
Etymology
From Middle English wydowhood, widewehad, equivalent to widow + -hood. Compare widowerhood.
noun
- The state or period of being a widow or widower.