DOWER

dower

(noun) a life estate to which a wife is entitled on the death of her husband

dowry, dowery, dower, portion

(noun) money or property brought by a woman to her husband at marriage

endow, dower

(verb) furnish with an endowment; “When she got married, she got dowered”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Proper noun

Dower (plural Dowers)

A surname.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Dower is the 22733^rd most common surname in the United States, belonging to 1127 individuals. Dower is most common among White (78.88%) and Black/African American (14.02%) individuals.

Anagrams

• rowed, worde

Etymology

Noun

dower (plural dowers)

(legal) The part of or interest in a deceased husband's property provided to his widow, usually in the form of a life estate.

(legal) Property given by a groom directly to his bride at or before their wedding in order to legitimize the marriage; dowry.

(obsolete) That with which one is gifted or endowed; endowment; gift.

Antonyms

• curtesy

Verb

dower (third-person singular simple present dowers, present participle dowering, simple past and past participle dowered)

To give a dower or dowry.

To endow.

Anagrams

• rowed, worde

Source: Wiktionary

Dow"er, n. Etym: [F. douaire, LL. dotarium, from L. dotare to endow, portion, fr. dos dower; akin to Gr. dare to give. See 1st Date, and cf. Dot dowry, Dotation.]

1. That with which one is gifted or endowed; endowment; gift. How great, how plentiful, how rich a dower! Sir J. Davies. Man in his primeval dower arrayed. Wordsworth.

2. The property with which a woman is endowed; especially: (a) That which a woman brings to a husband in marriage; dowry. [Obs.] His wife brought in dower Cilicia's crown. Dryden. (b) (Law)

Definition: That portion of the real estate of a man which his widow enjoys during her life, or to which a woman is entitled after the death of her husband. Blackstone.

Note: Dower, in modern use, is and should be distinguished from dowry. The former is a provision for a widow on her husband's death; the latter is a bride's portion on her marriage. Abbott. Assignment of dower. See under Assignment.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition