Dower

Pronunciation: /daʊər/

Definitions of dower

noun the property or wealth that a woman brings to her husband in marriage

Example Sentences

A1 In some cultures, a dower is a gift of money or property given by the bride's family to the groom.

A2 The dower was a common practice in medieval Europe, where a woman would receive a portion of her husband's estate upon his death.

B1 The dower rights of a widow vary depending on the laws of the country in which she resides.

B2 The dower provision in the will ensured that the wife would be taken care of financially after her husband passed away.

C1 The dower system has evolved over time to reflect changes in societal norms and legal regulations.

C2 The dower amount was determined based on the value of the husband's estate and the length of the marriage.

Examples of dower in a Sentence

formal The dower was specified in the will as a portion of the estate to be given to the widow.

informal She inherited a dower from her late husband's estate.

slang I heard she got a big dower from her divorce settlement.

figurative His kindness towards others was his dower, always willing to lend a helping hand.

Grammatical Forms of dower

• past tense: dowered
• plural: dowers
• comparative: more dower
• superlative: most dower
• present tense: dowers
• future tense: will dower
• perfect tense: have dowered
• continuous tense: is dowering
• singular: dower
• positive degree: dower
• infinitive: to dower
• gerund: dowering
• participle: dowered

Origin and Evolution of dower

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'dower' originated from the Old English word 'dawer' which was derived from the Latin word 'dos' meaning dowry.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to refer to the portion of a deceased husband's real property that a widow is legally entitled to, the meaning of 'dower' has evolved to also include the property or wealth that a woman brings to her husband upon marriage.