摘要：“Dowry”源自古法语“douaire”，意为“寡妇的遗产”，来自拉丁语“dotare”（赋予财产），由“dos”（礼物）衍生。13世纪进入英语，最初指新娘带给丈夫的财产，后泛指婚姻中的财物赠予。

dowry

[DOWRY]

英 ['daʊri] 美 ['daʊri]

n.嫁妆；天资

◉词源

“Dowry”源自古法语“douaire”，意为“寡妇的遗产”，来自拉丁语“dotare”（赋予财产），由“dos”（礼物）衍生。13世纪进入英语，最初指新娘带给丈夫的财产，后泛指婚姻中的财物赠予。

◉外刊例句

·《The Guardian》 (2024年11月)

The dowry included land and jewelry.

嫁妆包括土地和珠宝。

·《The New York Times》 (2025年7月)

Dowry disputes sparked family tensions.

嫁妆纠纷引发了家庭紧张。

◉经典名著

① 《傲慢与偏见》（Pride and Prejudice） - 简·奥斯汀

Her dowry attracted unwanted suitors.

她的嫁妆吸引了不受欢迎的追求者。

② 《理智与情感》（Sense and Sensibility） - 简·奥斯汀

Elinor’s dowry was modest but sufficient.

埃莉诺的嫁妆朴素但够用。

◉ Usage Examples

(1) Her father gave her the two books he had written as her dowry.

(2) His family hoped that his bride would bring a large dowry.

(1) 作为她的嫁妆,她父亲将自己写的两本书给了她。

(2) 他的家人希望新娘能带来丰厚的嫁妆。

◉ Usage Notes

In some cultures, the bride or her family pays a certain amount of money or property to the groom when a couple is married. This payment is called a dowry.

Traditionally, a woman's family offered a dowry to potential husbands in order to make the match more attractive to the man and his family. The word dowry can actually mean "payment," but it can also refer to whatever property or savings a woman herself brings into a marriage. The Latin word dotare is the root of dowry, and it means "to endow or to portion out."

◉柯林斯词典

1. [N-COUNT 可数名词]嫁妆；陪嫁 A woman's dowry is the money and goods which, in some cultures, her family gives to the man that she marries.

The money from her dowry was invested in her mother's store.

她的嫁妆钱都投到了母亲的铺子里。

来源：学无用的英语