noun
dowager
DOW-uh-jer/ˈdaʊədʒər/
A widow retaining status or property from her husband.
The dowager retains her title and part of her husband's estate.
Etymology
The ancestor meant a widow with a dower. As a title, dowager distinguished a widow of rank from the wife of her husband's heir.
In context
The most recent widow of a British king was the late Queen Elizabeth II's mother, who technically qualified as a queen dowager.
More examples
- As a dowager, she receives income from her late husband's land.
- The dowager duchess attends the ceremony beside the new duchess.
- Both dowagers retain their titles after their husbands' deaths.
Forms
dowager · dowagers
dower noun — Property a widow receives from her husband.
Similar words
- widow
- Widow indicates a deceased spouse, not retained rank or property.