either member of a married pair in relation to the other; one's husband or wife.
–verb (used with object)
2.
Obsolete. to join, give, or take in marriage.
Origin: 1150–1200; (n.) ME < OF spous (masc.), spouse (fem.) (aph. for espous, espouse) < L spōnsus,spōnsa lit., pledged (man, woman) (n. uses of ptp. of spondēre to pledge), equiv. to spond- verb s. + -tus, -ta ptp. suffix; (v.) ME spousen < OF esp(o)user;cf. espouse