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dower

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dower


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Dower  \Dow"er\,  n.  [F.  douaire  LL  dotarium  from  L.  dotare  to 
  endow,  portion,  fr  dos  dower;  akin  to  Gr  ?  gift,  and  to  L. 
  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)  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}. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  dower 
  n  1:  money  or  property  brought  by  a  woman  to  her  husband  at 
  marriage  [syn:  {dowry},  {dowery}] 
  2:  a  life  estate  to  which  a  wife  is  entitled  on  the  death  of 
  her  husband 
  v  :  furnish  with  an  endowment  [syn:  {endow}] 




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