DOWRY, noun [See Dower. This word differs not from dower. It is the same word differently written, and the distinction made between them is arbitrary.] 1. The money, goods or estate which a woman brings to her husband in marriage; the portion given with a wife. 2. The reward paid for a wife. 3. A gift; a fortune, given.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI