name
Meaning 1
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
dower
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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dauʹ-ər
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/ˈdaʊ.əɹ/
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UK: [ˈdaʊ.ə(ɹ)]
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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US: [ˈdaw.ɚ]
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homophone: dour (for some speakers)
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rhymes with -aʊ.ə(ɹ)
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rhymes with -əʊə(ɹ)
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CMU ARPABET: D AW1 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
The part of or interest in a deceased husband's property provided to his widow, usually in the form of a life estate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: curtesy
noun
Meaning 3
Property given by a groom to his bride or her family, at or before their wedding, in order to legitimize the marriage
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bride price, reverse dowry, dower, dowry
Antonyms: dowry
Broader terms: marriage-portion, price, fee, gift
noun
Meaning 4
That with which one is gifted or endowed; endowment; gift.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
Alternative spelling of dougher.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 6
To give a dower or dowry to.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 7
To endow.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
a life estate to which a wife is entitled on the death of her husband
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: life estate, estate for life
noun
Meaning 9
money or property brought by a woman to her husband at marriage
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: dowry, dowery, portion
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: gift
verb
Meaning 10
furnish with an endowment
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- When she got married, she got dowered
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: endow
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: give, gift, present
Narrower terms: benefice
History
Etymology
From Middle English dower, dowere, from Old French doeire, from Medieval Latin dōtārium, from Latin dōs. Doublet of dowry.
From Middle English dower, equivalent to dough + -er
Across languages
Translations
24 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Dutch: lijftocht — part of deceased's property
- Finnish: lesken osuus — part of deceased's property
- French: dot — part of deceased's property
- German: Leibzucht — part of deceased's property
- German: Leibgedinge — part of deceased's property
- Italian: legittima — part of deceased's property
- Polish: posag — part of deceased's property
- Breton: trederann — property given to wife at marriage
- Bulgarian: зестра (zestra) — property given to wife at marriage
- Czech: věno — property given to wife at marriage
- Dutch: weduwgift — property given to wife at marriage
- Finnish: huomenlahja — property given to wife at marriage
- French: douaire — property given to wife at marriage
- Galician: dote — property given to wife at marriage
- German: Wittum — property given to wife at marriage
- Irish: tionscra — property given to wife at marriage
- Irish: tochra — property given to wife at marriage
- Italian: dotario — property given to wife at marriage
- Polish: posag — property given to wife at marriage
- Welsh: cynhysgaeth — property given to wife at marriage
- Czech: nadání — gift
- Czech: talent — gift
- Czech: dar — gift
- Polish: dar — gift
Real reading context