noun
- plural of dower; portions of a deceased husband’s estate that widows are legally entitled to
Usage: legal; historical
verb
- third person singular present of dower; provides with a dower or endows with property
Usage: formal; legal
Examples
- The court determined the widow’s dowers from her late husband’s estate.
- Medieval law specified that dowers should comprise one-third of the husband’s property.
- The wealthy merchant dowers his daughter generously before her marriage.
- Historical records show how dowers protected women’s financial security.
- The lawyer explained the legal requirements for claiming dowers.
- He dowers the charity with a substantial endowment each year.