dower
Bride's legal portion
Dower is property or money a widow receives from her husband's estate—a legal right distinct from inheritance.
The term is archaic in most jurisdictions but persists in legal contexts.
A related meaning is a dowry, the property a bride brings to marriage.
To dower is to provide with a dower or endow with talent: Nature had dowered her with beauty.
Widow's legal estate
- thirdsOne of three parts
- curtesyWidower's life estate
- usufructRight to another's property
- entailmentLogical necessity from premises
devise · settlement · provision · allocation · prenuptial · antenuptial · testamentary · probate
Titled widow of nobility
- relictBiological or legal survivor
- widowhoodStatus after spouse dies
- survivorOne still alive after
- mourningPeriod following loss
bereavement · remarriage · jointure · maintenance · support · provision · security · protection
Property and grounds
- landEarth's solid surface
- holdingsProperty one owns
- realtyImmovable property ownership
- freeholdPermanent property title
manor · homestead · tenement · acreage · domain · chattels · assets · parcel
jointure
Widow's legal estate
entailment · devise · settlement · provision · allocation · prenuptial · antenuptial · testamentary · probate · intestate
dowager
Titled widow of nobility
mourning · bereavement · remarriage · jointure · maintenance · support · provision · security · protection
estate
Property and grounds
freehold · manor · homestead · tenement · acreage · domain · chattels · assets · parcel · farmstead
bride-price
Payment for marriage rights
- bridewealthMarriage transfer payment
- trousseauBride's gathered possessions
- arrasOrnamental woven wall covering
dos · betrothal · nuptials · matrimony · conjugal · espousal · matchmaking · alliance · contract · arrangement
- legal archaismsattainder, escheat, outlawry, livery of seisin, trial by ordeal
- historical lawattainder, Justinian Code, Roman law, curtesy, Napoleonic Code
- inheritanceinheritance, inheritances, heir, heirs, heiress
- marriage giftsbridewealth, bride price, trousseau, hope chest, wedding gifts
- Islamic Marriagemarriage contract, waiting period, polygyny, guardian, qadi
- property interestslife estate, remainder, reversion, leasehold, freehold
dowerdisendow
Strip of endowment
dispossess · disinherit · deprive · divest · defund
- dowry systemMatrimonial wealth transfer practice
- dower houseWidow's provided dwelling
endow, endowment, dowry, endowed, endowing, endowments, dowries, unendowed