/ ˈdaʊri; NAmE / noun ( pl. -ies )
1.
money and/or property that, in some societies, a wife or her family must pay to her husband when they get married
2.
money and/or property that, in some societies, a husband must pay to his wife's family when they get married
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (denoting a widow's life interest in her husband's estate): from Anglo-Norman French dowarie , from medieval Latin dotarium , from Latin dotare endow, from dos , dot- dowry; related to dare give.