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Glite Dictionary
👵 A widow's share 💍 Marriage property 🎁 To give a dowry
dower

dower

9.9
Money or property a woman brings to her husband when she marries
  • noun
  • /ˈdaʊər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : dote
  • In some cultures, a substantial dower is customary for women to bring into marriage.

Examples

  • The bride's family provided a generous dower to ensure her future happiness in the marriage.

  • Most importantly, the new law provides a way for women to divorce regardless of the legal grounds for their action, so long as they forfeit monetary compensation of the second half of the mahr (dower) and the gifts (jewelry given for the marriage).

    Academic text (2003)

  • He promised to honor the dower agreement, which included both cash and property for his wife.

Synonyms

dowry
vsdower
30 6.0

Money or property a woman gives to her husband at marriage

emphasizes that this comes from an arranged contract or agreement
portion
vsdower
  • Archaic
3 9.7

Money or property a woman brings when she marries

frames the transfer as part of an arrangement or formal contract
dowery
vsdower
  • Archaic
9.0

Money or property a woman brings to her husband when they marry

highlights the formal or contractual nature of the transfer

Surface Forms

dower singular
dowers plural

Etymology

Dower comes from the old word dos meaning 'gift' and is the same root as dowry. Think of it as the 'gift' a woman brings to marriage, which is why dower can mean money or property given when people marry.