portion
3
9.7
- noun
- /ˈpɔrʃən/
- Archaic
:
dote
- The court also began to hear cases brought by women who demanded that their husbands hand over a portion of their wages and the family allowance to maintain their families.
Examples
-
Her savings, such as they were, covered the first month's rent and her portion of the security deposit; less than Flynn's, who took the bigger room.
Fiction book (1999) -
Upon the death of her husband, a widow may receive... her marriage portion and her inheritance at once.
-
And... I shall ask papa to use a portion of my inheritance for your dowry.
-
Men now paid a portion of their bridewealth in English pounds, and the earliest land purchases can be traced to this period.
Academic text (2001) -
She came mounted on a fat donkey, purchased with the first portion of Agnes's bequest.
Fiction book (2000) -
In our household, it was she who grieved the most bitterly; yet as much out of spite, I think, as genuine sorrow at our loss, for being a woman and unmarried, she eventually inherited only a modest portion of Poppa's estate, and her brothers the remainder.
Fiction book (1992) -
As part of her marriage contract, the bride received a portion that would support her in case of need.
-
In their union, her family provided a significant portion to help establish their life together.
-
He was grateful for the generous portion his wife brought to their marriage, ensuring their financial stability.
Synonyms
30
6.0
Money or property a woman gives to her husband at marriage
Money or property a woman brings to her husband when they marry
Money or property a woman brings to her husband when she marries
Compounds
How Large
Surface Forms
Etymology
Portion meaning a dowry comes from Latin portio 'a part' or 'share' and so it originally meant the goods or money given as a person's share at marriage. That is why a daughter's portion was the property she brought to her husband.