Dower ['daʊə]  n.

一、释义

（14c）At common law a wife's right, upon her husband's death, to a life estate in one-third of the land that he owned in fee.     =dowment; maritagium.   Cf. Curtesy.

"With few exceptions, the wife could not be deprived of dower by any transfer made by her husband during his lifetime. Although most states have abolished dower, many states retaining the concept have expanded the wife's share to a life estate in all the land that her husband owned in fee."

【英格兰古法】寡妇地产；    婚姻赠礼：丈夫给予妻子作为婚姻对家的各种赠礼

二、词组精选

consummate dower  完全寡妇产

A widow's interest in her deceased husband's estate until that interest is legally assigned to her.

dower ad ostium ecclesiae   【英格兰古法】教堂门前的婚姻赠礼

An endowment of dower made by a man to his wife at the church door or porch, usu. as part of the marriage ceremony.

一种古老的英格兰婚姻赠与形式。保有自由继承地产的成年男子在庆祝婚姻正式举行的教堂门前，在签定婚约和盟誓之后【after affiance made and troth plighted】， 公开将自己保有的地产的全部或部分赠给新娘，并宣布在自己死后，自己的妻子可以无需另外的授予而进占并保有该份土地。

dower by the common law  普通法上的寡妇地产（权）17c

The regular dower, consisting of a life interest in one-third of the lands that the husband held in fee.

=dos rationabilis

英国和美国法律所认可的一种普通的寡妇地产权。据此，妻子有权取得其亡夫于婚姻存续期间的任何时间所保有的自由继承地产的1/3。在美国，根据1945年《遗产管理法》此制已被废除。

dower ex assensu  patris  经父亲同意的赠礼  17c

A type of dower ad ostium ecclesia made while the husband's father is alive and consents to the endowment to his son'e wife.

新郎在其父明示同意的情况下将其父亲占有的部分自由继承地产赠与新娘。而且指定了数量与地块，即使丈夫死后其父亲仍然健在，妻子也可以无需其他授予仪式而直接占有该地产。

election dower  遗孀遗产选择权 1883

A widow's right to take a statutory share of her deceased husband's estate if she choose to reject her share under a will.

指遗孀拒绝其亡夫在遗嘱中为她保留的财产份额，而接受法律所规定的其应得财产份额的权利。

inchoate dower   初始寡妇产；亡夫遗产享有权  1862

A wife's interest in her husband's estate while both are living. 

= dower inchoate

丈夫生存期间妻子对于他所有的土地所享有的一种将来的权利。这种权利在丈夫死后即成为寡妇的继承遗产权。【right of dower】。它不是基于合同而是基于法律，且不能由丈夫单方转让，但妻子若同意放弃，则此权利可以丧失。

(来源：Black's Law Dictionary，《元照英美法词典》，《英汉法律用语词典》）