dowager

[ dou-uh-jer ]
See synonyms for dowager on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a woman who holds some title or property from her deceased husband, especially the widow of a king, duke, etc. (often used as an additional title to differentiate her from the wife of the present king, duke, etc.): a queen dowager; an empress dowager.

  2. an elderly woman of stately dignity, especially one of elevated social position: a wealthy dowager.

adjective
  1. noting, pertaining to, or characteristic of a dowager: the dowager duchess; to prefer a dowager style of dress.

Origin of dowager

1
1520–30; <Middle French douag(i)ere, equivalent to douage dower (see endow, -age) + -iere, feminine of -ier-ier2

Other words from dowager

  • dow·a·ger·ism, noun

Words Nearby dowager

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

How to use dowager in a sentence

  • How little did he divine that the letter of the doctor was called forth by a communication from the countess-dowager.

    Elster's Folly | Mrs. Henry Wood
  • The old dowager's voice toned down, and she pulled her black feathers straight upon her head.

    Elster's Folly | Mrs. Henry Wood
  • The doctor had been spending Easter at Cannes, and the dowager had devoutly prayed that he might not yet return.

    Elster's Folly | Mrs. Henry Wood
  • And the countess-dowager fanned herself complacently, and neither she nor Maude cared for the absence of a groomsman.

    Elster's Folly | Mrs. Henry Wood
  • The countess-dowager was not very adroit at spelling and composition, whether French or English, as you observe.

    Elster's Folly | Mrs. Henry Wood

British Dictionary definitions for dowager

dowager

/ (ˈdaʊədʒə) /


noun
    • a widow possessing property or a title obtained from her husband

    • (as modifier): the dowager duchess

  1. a wealthy or dignified elderly woman

Origin of dowager

1
C16: from Old French douagiere, from douage dower

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