Dictionary

concubine

noun con·cu·bine \ˈkäŋ-ky-ˌbīn, ˈkän-, -kyü-\

: an unmarried woman who has sex with a man and lives with the man and his wife or wives

Full Definition of CONCUBINE

:  a woman with whom a man cohabits without being married: as
a :  one having a recognized social status in a household below that of a wife
b :  mistress 4a
ADVERTISEMENT

Origin of CONCUBINE

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin concubina, from com- + cubare to lie
First Known Use: 14th century

Other Anthropology Terms

ectomorph, ethnography, prehistory, yurt

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: conculcatePrevious Word in the Dictionary: concubinateAll Words Near: concubine
ADVERTISEMENT
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.
Test your vocab with our fun, fast game
Ailurophobia, and 9 other unusual fears