levirate
le·vi·rate
noun \ˈle-və-rət, ˈlē-, -ˌrāt\Definition of LEVIRATE
: the sometimes compulsory marriage of a widow to a brother of her deceased husband
— le·vi·rat·ic \ˌle-və-ˈra-tik, ˌlē-\ adjective
Origin of LEVIRATE
Latin levir husband's brother; akin to Old English tācor husband's brother, Greek daēr
First Known Use: 1725
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