258. Marriage

See also 348. RELATIONSHIP ; 418. WIFE

adelphogamy

the form of marriage in which brothers have a common wife or wives. —adelphogamic , adj.

bigamy

the state or practice of being married to more than one wife or one husband at a time. —bigamist , n. —bigamous , adj.

celibacy

the state of being single or unmarried, especially in the case of one bound by vows not to marry. —celibate , n., adj.

celibatist

an advocate of celibacy.

cicisbeism

the practice of a married woman having an escort or cavalier, called a cicisbeo, in attendance.

deuterogamy

digamism. —deuterogamist , n. —deuterogamous , adj.

digamism, digamy

a second legal marriage after the termination of a first marriage by death or divorce. Also called deuterogamy. —digamist , n. —digamous , adj.

endogamy

the custom of marrying only within one’s tribe or similar social unit. —endogamic, endogamous , adj.

epithalamium, epithalamy

a song or poem composed and performed in honor of a bride or groom.

exogamy

the practice of marrying only outside one’s tribe or similar social unit. —exogamic, exogamous , adj.

gamomania

1. Obsolete, a form of mania characterized by strange and extravagant proposals of marriage.

2. an excessive longing for the married state.

gamophobia

an abnormal fear of marriage.

mariticide

the killing of a husband. —mariticidal , adj.

matrimony

the act or state of marriage; married life. —matrimonial , adj.

misogamy

a hatred of marriage. —misogamist , n. —misogamic , adj.

monandry

the custom of marriage to only one man at a time. —monandrous , adj.

monogamy

the custom of marriage to one wife or one husband at a time. —monogamous , adj.

morganatic

designating or pertaining to a marriage between a man of high social standing and a woman of lower station in which the marriage contract stipulates that neither she nor their offspring will have claim to his rank or property.

neogamist

a person recently married; a newlywed.

nubility

the condition of being marriageable, especially in reference to a woman’s age or physical development. —nubile , adj.

pantagamy

a form of marriage in which every woman in a community is married to every man and every man is married to every woman. —pantagamic , adj.

paranymph

the best man or maid of honor at a wedding.

polyandry

the practice of having two or more husbands at a time. —polyandrous , adj.

polygamy

the practice or state of being married to more than one person at a time. —polygamous , adj.

polygyny

the practice of having two or more wives at a time. —polygynous, polygynious , adj.

prothalamion, prothalamium

a nuptial or wedding song or verse.

trigamy

the condition of having three spouses, especially in the criminal sense of having them simultaneously. —trigamous , adj.