dower

Middle English

/duːˈɛːr(ə)/

noun
Definitions
  • A dower; a life estate of a male spouse's property.
  • (rare) A gift given by the bride's family to the groom or his relatives; dowry.
  • (rare) A intrinsic or inherent property or attribute.
  • (rare) A portion of the world under the domination of a particular star sign.

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French doeire derived from Latin dōtārium affix from Middle English dowen.

Origin

Middle English

dowen

Gloss

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms