dower

[ dou-er ]
See synonyms for dower on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Law. the portion of a deceased husband's real property allowed to his widow for her lifetime.

  1. a natural gift or endowment.

verb (used with object)
  1. to provide with a dower or dowry.

  2. to give as a dower or dowry.

Origin of dower

1
1250–1300; Middle English dowere<Old French do(u)aire<Medieval Latin dōtārium.See dot2, -ary

Other words from dower

  • dow·er·less, adjective
  • un·dow·ered, adjective

Words Nearby dower

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use dower in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dower

dower

/ (ˈdaʊə) /


noun
  1. the life interest in a part of her husband's estate allotted to a widow by law

  2. an archaic word for dowry (def. 1)

  1. a natural gift or talent

verb
  1. (tr) to endow

Origin of dower

1
C14: from Old French douaire, from Medieval Latin dōtārium, from Latin dōs gift

Derived forms of dower

  • dowerless, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012