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

to dower

9.9
To give a woman money or property when she marries
  • verb
  • /ˈdaʊər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : dotar
  • Sir Charles never questioned why he, an impecunious baron, should have captured the hand of such a well-dowered lady.

Examples

  • Where will we get the money to dower her if she meets a fine man to escort her to dinner?

    Fiction book (1994)

  • I still must dower her and pay for the wedding. "May I pour your tea, sir?" p221

    Fiction book (1994)

  • The prince had recently become betrothed to a suitable princess, well-dowered, sufficiently pretty, and moderately clever.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Her family decided to dower her with a generous sum before the wedding.

  • The father pledged to dower his daughter with a beautiful home and a substantial fortune.

  • In this community, it is customary to dower brides with gifts that reflect their family's status.

Synonyms

to endow
vsto dower
  • Formal
18 6.1

To give a large amount of money or land to an institution to provide ongoing income

is for providing a woman with a marriage gift at the time of marriage rather than any recipient

Surface Forms

dower infinitive
dowered past
dowered past participle
dowering present participle
dowers third person singular

Etymology

Dower comes from the same old word dos 'gift' and from the noun dower. To 'dower' someone is to give that gift, so to dower a woman is to provide her with money or property, often at marriage.