widow's peak
noun phrase

- a descending V-shaped point in the middle of the hairline just above the forehead

Wikipedia

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DID YOU KNOW?

There are several explanations for the origin of the expression "widow's peak," which first began to be used in the 1830s.

Some believe it is based on a superstition that women with this physical feature would outlive their husbands. However, this superstition may simply be that as people age, their hairlines often recede, making widows' peaks more prominent. Therefore, women who outlive their husbands might appear to have been marked with a widow's peak.

Another explanation for the origin relates to the mourning caps worn as early as the 1500s. A mourning cap, or Mary Stuart Cap features a very distinctive triangular fold of cloth in the middle of the forehead, creating a sort of artificial widow's peak.

The word "widow" can be found in several other expressions:

widow's mite - a small donation of money from someone who is very poor

widow's walk - a lookout that sits atop a house on the coast

widow's chamber - in London, the clothes that belong to a widow and the furniture in her chamber that is left to her by her deceased husband (according to English law)

widow's weeds - an old-fashioned term for the black mourning clothes traditionally worn by a widow

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Practice OWAD in a conversation:

"Looking at these photos, I prefer the candidate with the WIDOW'S PEAK."

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Thanks to Christine for suggesting today's word!