/wayf (Gen.); weyf (Cat)/ [cf. Sra. wefi, Krio wef (Alleyne 40), Cam. wεf CCD, all 'wife': Car. an overseer's mistress DJE; cf. also US dial. South wife sweetheart WEA; OED wife a term of affection to a female friend obs.→^.1601] n. main girlfriend (youth slang): 1971 The dating pattern consisted of a number of casual relationships and the main girlfriend or "wife" as we used to call this queen bee (McCartney 109). (Black)

—v. [cf. OED wife to marry obs. -^±1725; cf. wive v.] to wed (a woman): 1918 If you do dem, I give you my daughter ter wife (Parsons 134).