Dictionary

dower en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• [ˈdaw.ɚ] (US)
• [ˈdaʊ.ə(ɹ)] (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈdaʊ.əɹ/
• dauʹ-ər

Etymology

From Middle English dower, dowere, from Old French doeire, from Medieval Latin dōtārium, from Latin dōs. Doublet of dowry.

Meanings

1. The part of or interest in a deceased husband's property provided to his widow, usually in the form of a life estate.
2. Property given by a groom to his bride or her family, at or before their wedding, in order to legitimize the marriage
   • […] how features are abroad, / I am skill-less of; but, by my modesty,— / The jewel in my dower,—I would not wish / Any companion in the world but you […] 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
   • In New Bedford, fathers, they say, give whales for dowers to their daughters, and portion off their nieces with a few porpoises a-piece. 1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chapter 6:
3. (obsolete) That with which one is gifted or endowed; endowment; gift.
   • For though God had bestowed on her the rare dower of a fine mind, He had not added to it the much more common, though infinitely less precious gift, of a quick intellect. 1856, Julia Kavanagh, chapter III, in Rachel Gray, London: Hurst and Blackett, page 49:
   • Man in his primeval dower arrayed. 1793, William Wordsworth, Descriptive Sketches:
   • How great, how plentiful, how rich a dower! c. 1600, John Davies, The Dignity of Man:

Forms

Antonyms

dowry · curtesy

Hypernyms

marriage-portion · price · fee · gift

Relateds

endow · dower house · dowral · dowager · bride price · dowry · dow

Synonyms

bride price · dowry · reverse dowry

Translations (24)

pl posag (property given to wife at marriage) · de Wittum (property given to wife at marriage) · fi huomenlahja (property given to wife at marriage) · fr dot (part of deceased's property) · cs dar (gift) · br trederann (property given to wife at marriage) · cy cynhysgaeth (property given to wife at marriage) · fr douaire (property given to wife at marriage) · nl lijftocht (part of deceased's property) · cs věno (property given to wife at marriage) · gl dote (property given to wife at marriage) · de Leibzucht (part of deceased's property) · it dotario (property given to wife at marriage) · bg зестра (property given to wife at marriage) · de Leibgedinge (part of deceased's property) · cs nadání (gift) · pl dar (gift) · ga tochra (property given to wife at marriage) · ga tionscra (property given to wife at marriage) · fi lesken osuus (part of deceased's property) · it legittima (part of deceased's property) · cs talent (gift) · nl weduwgift (property given to wife at marriage) · pl posag (part of deceased's property)

wikidata: Q765157 · wikidata: Q351406

dower en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• [ˈdaw.ɚ] (US)
• [ˈdaʊ.ə(ɹ)] (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈdaʊ.əɹ/
• dauʹ-ər

Etymology

From Middle English dower, dowere, from Old French doeire, from Medieval Latin dōtārium, from Latin dōs. Doublet of dowry.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To give a dower or dowry to.
   • He had married a lady well educated and softly nurtured, but not dowered with worldly wealth. 1861, Anthony Trollope, Framley Parsonage:
2. (transitive) To endow.
   • It was nothing of this earth, but a piece of the great outside; and as such dowered with outside properties and obedient to outside laws. 1927, H.P. Lovecraft, The Colour Out of Space:

Forms

Deriveds

undowered

dower en · NOUN · etymology 2

Etymology

From Middle English dower, equivalent to dough + -er

Meanings

1. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative spelling of dougher.
   alt of dougher

Forms