Marriage Customs And Traditions

noun a payment or gift given by a bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage, traditionally in some cultures

• The dowry presented by the bride's family was a significant amount of money and jewelry.
• I heard that the dowry for the wedding was pretty generous.
• The dowry was no joke, they really went all out for the wedding.
• In some cultures, education is seen as a dowry that parents give to their children.

verb to formally engage or pledge oneself to marry someone

• The act of affiancing involves the formal engagement or betrothal of two individuals.
• They are affiancing next month, so they are busy planning the wedding.
• I heard they're finally affiancing after years of dating.
• Affiancing their interests together, the two companies formed a powerful partnership.