noun
wife; the missus
Dated, familiar term for one's own wife or a wife in general; often used by men in casual or old-fashioned speech. Can sound rough or affectionate depending on context.
うちのかかあは料理が上手いんだ。
My wife is a good cook.
あの店のかかあは気が強い。
The wife of that shop is strong-willed.
The origin is uncertain; it may be a sound-symbolic or colloquial formation. The kanji 嬶 is a kokuji (Japanese-made character) combining 女 (woman) and 鼻 (nose), possibly suggesting a strong-willed wife, but the exact derivation is unclear.