Husband-in-law

Full definition of husband-in-law

(plural husbands-in-law)

A husband in law only, such as one who has abandoned his wife
A husband who provides legally required support, but not love or affection
(colloquial) Another husband of one's wife. Typically used in cases of divorce and subsequent remarriage.

2002, John Hanson Mitchell, The Wildest Place on Earth: Italian Gardens and the Invention of Wilderness, the collection of people who would gather in either of the two houses for Christmas and Thanksgiving, and sometimes again in summer. This collection involved former mothers-in-law, former husbands, ex-wives of former husbands, and doddering uncles from distant marriages, as well as, of course, the various and sundry children and dogs (dogs-in-law as one family member calls them) of the now recombined families. In the process, I believe, we were responsible for the creation of a new American family relativeâ€”the wife-in-law, or the husband-in-law.
1908, George Barr McCutcheon, Harrison Fisher, The Man from Brodney's, "Your plan provides Browne with two charming wives and gives me but one. ..."
"But, my lord," said Saunders, "doesn't the plan give Lady Deppingham two husbands? It's quite a fair division."
"It would make Lord Deppingham my husband-in-law, I imagine," said Drusilla quaintly. "I've always had a horror of husbands-in-law."
"And you would be my wife-in-law," supplemented Lady Agnes. "How interesting!"