dowry

noun

dow·​ry ˈdau̇(-ə)-rē 

plural dowries

1

law : the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings to her husband in marriage

cultures in which marriage rarely occurs without dowry or bride-price

2

: a natural talent or gift

Beauty should be the dowry of every man and woman, as invariably as sensation; but it is rare.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

3

archaic, law : dower sense 1

Examples of dowry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Experts found other oddities in the surrounding graves, including what may have been a young woman's dowry. —Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 16 Jan. 2025

Textiles are made for dowries, burials, and beliefs. —Natalie Stoclet, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025

In posts which have subsequently been deleted from his X account, Al-Sheikh described only being able to afford a single sandwich from his favourite store, and needing to sell jewellery to pay his wedding dowry. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025

Cameras followed them for milestone moments, including when David struggled to pay Annie's dowry in Thailand. —Kayla Grant, People.com, 11 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dowarie, from Anglo-French, alteration of dower, douaire — more at dower

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for dowry

• cowrie
• floury
• lourie
• maori

Kids Definition

dowry

noun

dow·​ry ˈdau̇(ə)r-ē 

plural dowries

: the property that a woman brings to her husband in marriage in some cultures