husband

UK: /ˈhʌzbənd/ US: /ˈhʌzbənd/ ,(huz′bənd)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

hus•band /ˈhʌzbənd/   n. [countable]

1. a married man.

v. [~ + object]

2. to manage or use carefully:
   to husband one's resources.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

hus•band  (huz′bənd), n. 

1. a married man, esp. when considered in relation to his wife.
2. British Terms a manager.
3. [Archaic.] a prudent or frugal manager.

v.t. 

4. to manage, esp. with prudent economy.
5. to use frugally;
   conserve:
   to husband one's resources.
6. [Archaic.]
   • to be or become a husband to;
     marry.
   • to find a husband for.
   • Agriculture to till;
     cultivate.

• Old Norse hūsbōndi, equivalent. to hūs house + bōndi (bō-, variant of bū- dwell (see boor) + -nd present participle suffix + -i inflectional ending)
• Middle English husband(e), Old English hūsbonda master of the house bef. 1000

hus′band•er, n. 
hus′band•less, adj. 
Synonyms

• 5. preserve, save, store, hoard.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

husband / ˈhʌzbənd/ noun

1. one's (male) partner in marriage; a married man
2. a manager of an estate

verb

1. to manage or use (resources, finances, etc) thriftily
2. (transitive) to find a husband for
3. (transitive) to till (the soil)

Etymology: Old English hūsbonda, from Old Norse hūsbōndi, from hūs house + bōndi one who has a household, from bōa to dwell

ˈhusbander noun