dower.

Property or an interest in property reserved for a widow after her husband's death under a legal or customary arrangement.

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Words that belong together

• dower rights
• dower house

On the page

Her dower rights survived the sale of the remaining lands.

The dower house stood apart from the residence she had once governed.

Usage notes

Primary category: gothic. Forms: Usually mass noun; plural dowers for distinct provisions. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.