a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
"After twenty years of being best friends, Sarah finally proposed to her husband."
The master of a house; the head of a family; a householder.
"The new husband was given full authority to oversee all household decisions and manage the servants."
In plain English: A husband is a man who is married to a woman.
"He gave his wife a lovely anniversary gift."
Usage: In modern English, husband refers exclusively to a married man, not the owner or head of a household. This older meaning of "master of a house" is now archaic and should not be used in contemporary conversation.
To manage or administer carefully and frugally; use to the best advantage; economise.
"The new manager was praised for how she husbanded the department's budget, ensuring every dollar stretched further than in previous years."
In plain English: To husband something means to manage it carefully and save resources so they are not wasted.
"The old couple decided to husband their savings so they could retire comfortably."
Usage: Do not use "husband" as a verb in casual conversation when referring to managing money or resources. This usage is now considered archaic and formal, so it is best avoided in everyday speech where simpler terms like "manage" or "save" fit naturally.
A surname.
"The real estate agent insisted that we list our property under the family name Husband rather than my maiden name."
The word husband comes from Old Norse húsbóndi, meaning "head of household," which was formed by combining words for "house" and "dweller." It entered Middle English as husbonde before evolving into its modern form.