Part 3427

<i>Blount.</i> <i>Burrill.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>A title given in England to a widow, to distinguish her from the wife of her husband's heir bearing the same name; -- chiefly applied to widows of personages of rank.</def>

<blockquote>With prudes for proctors, <b>dowagers</b> for deans. <i>Tennyson.</i></blockquote>

<cs><col>Queen dowager</col>, <cd>the widow of a king.</cd></cs>

<h1>Dowagerism</h1> <Xpage=448>

<hw>Dow"a*ger*ism</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>The rank or condition of a dowager; formality, as that of a dowager. Also used figuratively.</def>

<blockquote>Mansions that have passed away into <b>dowagerism</b>. <i>Thackeray.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Dowcet</h1> <Xpage=448>

<hw>Dow"cet</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[See <er>Doucet</er>.]</ety> <def>One of the testicles of a hart or stag.</def> <altsp>[Spelt also <asp>doucet</asp>.]</altsp>

<i>B. Jonson.</i>

<h1>Dowdy</h1> <Xpage=448>

<hw>Dow"dy</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>Compar.</tt> <er>Dowdier</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>superl.</tt> <er>Dowdiest</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[Scot. <ets>dawdie</ets> slovenly, <ets>daw</ets>, <ets>da</ets> sluggard, drab, Prov. E. <ets>dowd</ets> flat, dead.]</ety> <def>Showing a vulgar taste in dress; awkward and slovenly in dress; vulgar-looking.</def> -- <wordforms><wf>Dow"di*ly</wf> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>adv.</tt> -- <wf>Dow"di*ness</wf>, <tt>n.</tt></wordforms>

<h1>Dowdy</h1> <Xpage=448>

<hw>Dow"dy</hw>, <tt>n.</tt>; <plu>pl. <plw>Dowdies</plw> <tt>(<?/)</tt>.</plu> <def>An awkward, vulgarly dressed, inelegant woman.</def>

<i>Shak. Dryden.</i>

<h1>Dowdyish</h1> <Xpage=448>

<hw>Dow"dy*ish</hw>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Like a dowdy.</def>

<h1>Dowel</h1> <Xpage=448>

<hw>Dow"el</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Cf. G. <ets>d\'94bel</ets> peg, F. <ets>douelle</ets> state of a cask, surface of an arch, <ets>douille</ets> socket, little pipe, cartridge.]</ety> <fld>(Mech.)</fld>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>A pin, or block, of wood or metal, fitting into holes in the abutting portions of two pieces, and being partly in one piece and partly in the other, to keep them in their proper relative position.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>A piece of wood driven into a wall, so that other pieces may be nailed to it.</def>

<cs><col>Dowel joint</col>, <cd>a joint secured by a dowel or dowels.</cd> -- <col>Dowel pin</col>, <cd>a dowel. See <er>Dowel</er>, <tt>n.</tt>, <p><b>1</b>.</cd></cs>

<h1>Dowel</h1> <Xpage=448>

<hw>Dow"el</hw>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Doweled</er> <tt>(?)</tt> &or; <er>Dowelled</er>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Doweling</er> or <er>Dowelling</er>.]</wordforms> <def>To fasten together by dowels; to furnish with dowels; <as>as, a cooper <ex>dowels</ex> pieces for the head of a cask</as>.</def>

<h1>Dower</h1> <Xpage=448>

<hw>Dow"er</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>douaire</ets>, LL. <ets>dotarium</ets>, from L. <ets>dotare</ets> to endow, portion, fr. <ets>dos</ets> dower; akin to Gr. <?/ gift, and to L. <ets>dare</ets> to give. See 1st <er>Date</er>, and cf. <er>Dot</er> dowry, <er>Dotation</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>That with which one is gifted or endowed; endowment; gift.</def>

<blockquote>How great, how plentiful, how rich a <b>dower</b>! <i>Sir J. Davies.</i></blockquote>