I. ˈjȯinchə(r) noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin junctura, from junctus (past participle of jungere to join) + -ura -ure — more at yoke
1.
a. : an act of joining : the state of being joined : union
the jointure of two odd names in marriage — E.C.Smith
the battle seemed on its way to jointure — Time
b. : joint , juncture
2.
a. obsolete
(1) : the joint tenancy of an estate
(2) : the estate so held
b.
(1) : an estate settled on a wife to be taken by her in lieu of dower
(2) : a settlement upon the wife of a freehold estate (as in lands or tenements) for her lifetime at least to take effect upon the decease of the husband and to act as a bar to dower — called also legal jointure ; compare equitable dower
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to settle a jointure upon