concubine Hear it!

concubine definition

con·cu·bine (kän′kyo̵̅o̅ bīn′, käŋ′-)

noun

  1. Law a woman who cohabits with a man although not legally married to him
  2. in certain polygamous societies, a secondary wife, of inferior social and legal status

Etymology: ME < OFr concubin(e) < L concubina (masc. concubinus) < concumbere, to lie with < com-, with + cubare, to lie down: see cube

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.