(idiomatic) Something which or someone who takes the lives of men; a hazard that affects mostly men or is specific for some trade, occupied mostly by men.
1597, William Shakespeare, King John, act 5, sc. 2:O, it grieves my soul,That I must draw this metal from my sideTo be a widow-maker!
1906, , "Harp Song of the Dane Women":What is a woman that you forsake her,And the hearth-fire and the home-acre,To go with the old grey Widow-maker?
1973, w, Management: tasks, responsibilities, practices, Finally, jobs that are 'widow-makers' should be rethought and restructured. In the heyday of the great sailing ships, around 1850, just before the coming of steam, every shipping company had a widow-maker on its hands once in a while. ... One typical 'widow-maker' has been the job of international vice-president in the large American company.
