wificide

English

Etymology

From wife +‎ -i- +‎ -cide.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈwaɪ.fɪ.saɪd/

Noun

wificide (uncountable)

1. (nonce word) The killing of one's wife.

   Synonym: uxoricide

   • 1845, Catherine Gore, Self‎, volume II, London: Henry Colburn, page 229:

     Sir Walter Lesly fulfilled his threats of ordering horses the succeeding day, and taking his departure from the castle ; but not because, as for a moment he had been attempted to apprehend, his jealous host had evinced tendencies to wificide.

   • 1854, Rosina Bulwer-Lytton, Behind the Scenes‎, New York City, NY: Riker, Thorne & Co., page 157:

     This last beautifully rounded period Mrs. Bousefield had carefully retained from one of her favourite Minerva Press fictions, entitled, "Lavinia; or, the Victim of Love," which she had that morning been reading; and she thought, as she declaimed it with all the dignity of a tall lady in red cotton velvet, with a long train, and a gold paper tiara, whom she had once seen in the rôle of Statira, at Saddler's Wells, that if ever man was excusable in wishing to commit Wificide! Jacobs would be that man on that night!

   • 1955, Betty MacDonald, Onions in the Stew‎, Philadelphia, PA: J. B. Lippincott & Co, page 36:

     Tudor watched the operation reproachfully, the girls giggled behind their hands and Don's expression, to put the kindliest interpretation upon it, was rage suffused with despair spread thinly over a boiling caldron of desire to commit wificide and dogicide.

   • 2011, Anna Maclean, Louisa and the Missing Heiress: a Louisa May Alcott Mystery‎, New York: Obsidian, →ISBN, page 189:

     Preston, however, seemed unwilling to be quizzed further about this affair, and now resumed his perusal of the front page, which contained a rather lurid account of his seduction of the young maid in Newport some years before. Accused of wificide, he now was fair game for the reading public.

Translations

killing of one's wife — see uxoricide