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Webster 1913 Edition


Concubine

Con′cu-bine

,
Noun.
[F., fr. L.
concubina
;
con-
+
cubare
to lie down,
concumbere
to lie together, akin to E.
cubit
.]
1.
A woman who cohabits with a man without being his wife; a paramour.
Concubine has been sometimes, but rarely, used of a male paramour as well as of a female.
Trench.
2.
A wife of inferior condition; a lawful wife, but not united to the man by the usual ceremonies, and of inferior condition. Such were Hagar and Keturah, the concubines of Abraham; and such concubines were allowed by the Roman laws. Their children were not heirs of their father.
Conˊcul-ca′tion
,
Noun.
[Obs.]

Webster 1828 Edition


Concubine

CONCUBINE

,
Noun.
[L., to lie together, to lie down.]
1.
A woman who cohabits with a man, without the authority of a legal marriage; a woman kept for lewd purposes; a kept mistress.
2.
A wife of inferior condition; a lawful wife, but not united to the man by the usual ceremonies, and of inferior condition. Such were Hagar and Keturah, the concubines of Abraham; and such concubines were allowed by the Roman laws.

Definition 2024


concubine

concubine

English

Noun

concubine (plural concubines)

  1. A sexual partner, especially a woman, to whom one is not or cannot be married.
    1. A woman who lives with a man, but who is not a wife.
    2. (chiefly historical) A slave-girl or woman, kept for instance in a harem, who is held for sexual service.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

References

  • Random House Unabridged Dictionary

Italian

Noun

concubine f

  1. plural of concubina

Latin

Noun

concubīne

  1. vocative singular of concubīnus