Cuckoldom
/ˈkʌk.əld.əm/noun
The state or condition of being a cuckold; cuckoldry.
Did you know?It’s a rare, old formation built on the insult *cuckold* plus the abstract suffix *-dom*, which in English can mark a state or condition—so the word literally names the condition, not just the person.
Etymological Timeline
Old French / Medieval Latin
OF/ML
cucuault / cuculus
“A cuckold; originally linked to the cuckoo, a bird associated in folklore with infidelity and deception.”
Middle English
English
cokewold
“An insult for a man whose wife has been unfaithful to him.”
15th-16th Century
English
cuckold
“A man with an unfaithful wife; the term becomes a stock word of ridicule in drama and satire.”
16th Century
English
cuckoldom
“The state or condition of being a cuckold.”
Modern English
English
cuckoldom
“Rare literary term for cuckoldry or the condition of being a cuckold.”