noun
cuckold
KUH-kohld
noun
1
A man whose wife or partner has been unfaithful to him.
"The play mocks the jealous cuckold as a comic figure."
verb
1
To make someone a cuckold by sleeping with their spouse or partner.
"He was humiliated to learn he'd been cuckolded by his best friend."
How to Use Cuckold
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn old-fashioned, often mocking word for a man betrayed by an unfaithful partner.
Common mistake
It's a dated, somewhat comic or insulting term rather than neutral vocabulary — use with care.
Word Forms
cuckolded past tense, cuckolds plural, cuckolds singular
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Etymology
From Old French cucuault, built from cucu ("cuckoo") plus a suffix — a reference to cuckoo birds laying eggs in other birds' nests.