dowager

[vacuumfoam]

I always thought this word had more to do with age. I was unaware of the title or property aspect. See what researching for Good Word suggestions does for one's knowledge?


dow·a·ger
   /ˈdaʊədʒər/ Show Spelled[dou-uh-jer]
–noun
1. a woman who holds some title or property from her deceased husband, esp. the widow of a king, duke, etc. (often used as an additional title to differentiate her from the wife of the present king, duke, etc.): a queen dowager; an empress dowager.
2. an elderly woman of stately dignity, esp. one of elevated social position: a wealthy dowager.
–adjective
3. noting, pertaining to, or characteristic of a dowager: the dowager duchess; to prefer a dowager style of dress.

Origin:
1520–30; < MF douag(i)ere, equiv. to douage dower (see endow, -age) + -iere, fem. of -ier -ier2

—Related forms
dow·a·ger·ism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.

dow·a·ger (dou'ə-jər) n.

1. A widow who holds a title or property derived from her deceased husband.
2. An elderly woman of high social station.

[Obsolete French douagière, from douage, dower, from douer, to endow, from Latin dōtāre, from dōs, dōt-, dowry; see dō- in Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.


Word Origin & History

dowager
1530, from M.Fr. douagere "pertaining to a dower," from douage "dower," from douer "endow," from L. dotare, from dos (gen. dotis) "dowry" (see dowry).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

[LukeJavan8]

It would seem the word is often misunderstood. One could
be a dowager, without dressing in a dowager fashion.
Thanks for the word.