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uxoricide

uxoricide

1 9.9
The act of a husband killing his wife or the husband who does this
  • noun
  • /ˈʌksərɪˌsaɪd/
  • Offensive
: uxoricidio
  • The news report described the shocking case of uxoricide that took place in their small town.

Examples

  • Thus, with its representation of uxoricide, what the catastrophe of the tragedy displays is an "autoimmune crisis."

    Academic text (2017)
  • Uxoricide, Suicide, and Scenes of Autoimmune Crisis

    Academic text (2017)
  • In his novel, the author explores the theme of uxoricide as a tragic manifestation of domestic violence.

  • The documentary highlighted the psychological factors leading to uxoricide in several recorded incidents.

Surface Forms

uxoricide singular
uxoricides plural

Morphology

uxoricide = uxor + cide

The word is built from a Latin combining form meaning 'wife' plus '-cide' 'killing', but the base element is not a productive English word and is therefore not transparent for most learners.

Etymology

The word uxoricide comes from the Latin word uxor meaning 'wife' and the ending -cide meaning 'killing', just like in homicide and suicide. So an uxoricide is literally 'wife-killing' or a husband who kills his wife.