ETYM Contr. from dowery; cf. Late Lat. dotarium. Related to Dower.
Money or property brought by a woman to her husband at marriage; SYN. dowery, dower.
Property or money given by the bride's family to the groom or his family as part of the marriage agreement; the opposite of bridewealth. In 1961 dowries were made illegal in India; however, in 1992 the Indian government reported more than 15,000 murders or suicides between 1988 and 1991 that were a direct result of insufficient dowries.