wife-in-law

wife-in-law
 n.— «In regard to what word your sister should use to describe her former husband’s new spouse, we have heard a few terms to describe that relationship: You used one of them, “wife-in-law.” We have also heard the term “stepwife,” but neither seems quite appropriate, the reason being that both use the term “wife” as the root word, and the relationship in question has nothing to do with being a wife to each other, or even that both women have been a wife to the same man.» —“Here’s one way to introduce your ex’s current spouse” by Jann Blackstone-Ford, Sharyl Jupe Mercury News (San Jose, California) June 15, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

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Further reading

Blessing Box (episode #1613)

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