1. The part or interest of a deceased man's real estate allotted by law to his widow for her lifetime. Also called dowry. 2. See dowry (sense 1). 3. A natural endowment or gift; a dowry.
TRANSITIVE VERB:
Inflected forms: dow·ered, dow·er·ing, dow·ers To give a dower to; endow.
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English douere, from Old French douaire, from Medieval Latin dtrium, drium, from Latin ds, dt-, dowry. See d- in Appendix I.
dou
r
t
rium, d
