In typesetting, widow refers to the final line of a paragraph that falls at the top of the following page [or column] of text, separated from the remainder of the paragraph on the previous page [or column]. The term can also be used to refer simply to an uncomfortably short (e.g., a single word or two very short words) final line of a paragraph. [1]
A related term, orphan, refers to the first line of a paragraph appearing on its own at the bottom of a page [or column] with the remaining portion of the paragraph appearing on the following page [or column];[2] in other words the first line of the paragraph has been "left behind" by the remaining portion of text.
In simpler terms, a "widow" is generally a single line of a paragraph appearing at the top of a page and an "orphan" is generally a single line of a paragraph appearing at the bottom of a page. However, note that a "widow" (by the second definition above) can also fall at the bottom of a page, in the sense that the page ends on a very short line at the end of a paragraph.
An illustration of a widowed line, highlighted in yellow, appearing at the top of a page.
One easy way to remember the difference between an orphan and a widow is to remember that orphans "have a future but no past," while widows "have a past but no future" just as an orphan or widow in life.[3]
Writing guides generally suggest that a manuscript should have no widows and orphans[4] even when avoiding them results in additional space at the bottom of a page or column. Some techniques for eliminating widows include:
Forcing a page break early, producing a shorter page;
Adjusting the leading, the space between lines of text (although such carding or feathering is usually frowned upon);
Adjusting the spacing between words to produce 'tighter' or 'looser' paragraphs;
Adjusting the hyphenation of words within the paragraph;
Adjusting the page's margins;
Subtle scaling of the page, though too much non-uniform scaling can visibly distort the letters;
An orphan is cured more easily, by inserting a blank line or forcing a page break to push the orphan line onto the next page to be with the rest of its paragraph. Such a cure may have to be undone if editing the text repositions the automatic page/column break.
Most full-featured word processors and page layout applications include a paragraph setting (or option) to automatically prevent widows and orphans. When the option is turned on, an orphan is forced to the top of the next page or column; and the line preceding a widow is forced to the next page or column with the last line. This automatic adjustment to a page's layout can be a source of frustration for someone who is unaware of why text is shifted from one page to the next.
References
^Carter, Rob. Day, Ben. Meggs, Philip. Typographic Design: Form and Communication 2nd ed. John Wiley & Sons: 1993. p. 263
^Collins English Dictionary 6th edition. Glasgow: HarperCollins Publishers, 2003. ISBN 0-00-710982-2
^ Bringhurst, Robert. The Elements of Typographic Style. 3rd ed. Hartley and Marks Publishers: 2004. pp. 43-44 ISBN 0881792063
