DOWRY

dowry, dowery, dower, portion

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

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

dowry (countable and uncountable, plural dowries)

Payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage.

(less common) Payment by the groom or his family to the bride's family: bride price.

(obsolete) Dower.

A natural gift or talent.

Antonyms

• dower

• bride price

Hypernyms

• marriage portion

Hyponyms

• (bride price): lobola

Verb

dowry (third-person singular simple present dowries, present participle dowrying, simple past and past participle dowried)

To bestow a dowry upon.

Anagrams

• rowdy, wordy

Source: Wiktionary

Dow"ry, n.; pl. Dowries. Etym: [Contr. from dowery; cf. LL. dotarium. See Dower.]

1. A gift; endowment. [Obs.] Spenser.

2. The money, goods, or estate, which a woman brings to her husband in marriage; a bride's portion on her marriage. See Note under Dower. Shak. Dryden.

3. A gift or presents for the bride, on espousal. See Dower. Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give . . .; but give me the damsel to wife. Gen. xxxiv. 12.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition