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What (who) is Dower - definition

ASSETS RESERVED FOR A WIFE IN CASE HER HUSBAND DIES

Morning gift; Morgengab; Morganaticum; Morning present; Morgengabe; Religious dower; Dower, Religious; Religious Dower; Dower third; Dowers in Islam

dower

n.

1.

Endowment, gift.

2.

Dowry.

3.

(Law.) Widow's portion (of real estate).

dower

['da??]

¦ noun

1. a widow's share for life of her husband's estate.

2. archaic a dowry.

¦ verb archaic give a dowry to.

Origin

ME: from OFr. douaire, from med. L. dotarium, from L. dotare 'endow', from dos, dot- 'dowry'; related to dare 'give'.

dower

n. an old English common law right of a widow to one-third of her late husband's estate, which is still the law in a few states. In those states the surviving wife can choose either the dower rights or, if more generous, accept the terms of her husband's will in what is called a widow's election. In an obvious sexist imbalance, a surviving husband's equivalent right (called curtesy) is to the wife's entire estate, or if there are living children, to a life estate in everything. See also: curtesy descent and distribution widow's election

Wikipedia

Dower

Dower is a provision accorded traditionally by a husband or his family, to a wife for her support should she become widowed. It was settled on the bride (being gifted into trust) by agreement at the time of the wedding, or as provided by law.

The dower grew out of the practice of bride price, which was given over to a bride's family well in advance for arranging the marriage, but during the early Middle Ages, was given directly to the bride instead. However, in popular parlance, the term may be used for a life interest in property settled by a husband on his wife at any time, not just at the wedding. The verb to dower is sometimes used.

In popular usage, the term dower may be confused with:

A dowager is a widow (who may receive her dower). The term is especially used of a noble or royal widow who no longer occupies the position she held during the marriage. For example, Queen Elizabeth was technically the dowager queen after the death of George VI (though she was referred to by the more informal title "queen mother"), and Princess Lilian was the Dowager Duchess of Halland in heraldic parlance. Such a dowager will receive the income from her dower property. (The term "Empress Dowager", in Chinese history, has a different meaning.)
Property brought to the marriage by the bride is called a dowry. But the word dower has been used since Chaucer (The Clerk's Tale) in the sense of dowry, and is recognized as a definition of dower in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Property made over to the bride's family at the time of the wedding is a bride price. This property does not pass to the bride herself.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dower

Examples of use of Dower

1. Shortly after 6 a.m., police were alerted to a black Nissan Altima with no license plates parked on Dower House Road, Cpl.

2. Police were called to a lot in the 6200 block of Dower House Road about 6:30 a.m. by the property owner, who spotted the material inside the car.

3. Dower House Road was closed for most of the morning, requiring drivers to find an alternative to the rural industrial route that hugs part of the eastern fence of Andrews Air Force Base.

4. "Our intent was to illuminate aspects of the human experience –– including imperialism, racism, violence and war," Pulitzer Prize–winning historian John Dower, who teaches the course with fellow MIT professor Shigeru Miyagawa, said in a statement.

5. American historian John Dower, in his book "Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of WWII," says the charge for a short session with a prostitute was 15 yen, or about a dollar, roughly the cost of half a pack of cigarettes.