Etymology

dower

D2O1W4E1R1

Today it means: The part of or interest in a deceased husband's property provided to his widow, usually in the form of a life estate. Full definition →

Middle English dower ← Old French doeire ← Medieval Latin dōtārium
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dower · noun, verb1

  1. Latin · derived fromdōs
  2. Medieval Latin · derived fromdōtārium
  3. Old French · derived fromdoeire
  4. Middle English · inherited fromdower
  5. English todaydower

From Middle English dower, dowere, from Old French doeire, from Medieval Latin dōtārium, from Latin dōs. Doublet of dowry.

dower · noun2

  1. Middle English · inherited fromdower
  2. English todaydower

From Middle English dower, equivalent to dough + -er

Words from the same roots

Middle Englishdower all →

dougher

Medieval Latindōtārium all →

dowry

Latindōs all →

dowrydote

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.