# dowager

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈdaʊədʒə/ · frequency rank #34,862

## Definitions
1. A widow holding property or title derived from her late husband.
2. The widow of the holder of a title (usually a member of the peerage or a baronet); used in combination with the title she held during her husband's lifetime.
3. Any lady of dignified bearing, especially an older one.

## Etymology
From Middle French douagere, douagiere, from douage (“dower”), from the verb douer (“to endow”), from Latin dōtō (“to endow”), from dōs (“dowry”).

## Easily confused with
- **downer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dowager-vs-downer)
- **dosage** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dosage-vs-dowager)
- **dodger** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dodger-vs-dowager)

## Common misspellings (10)
`ddowager`, `doawger`, `dowaegr`, `dowagerr`, `dowagger`, `dowagre`, `dowgaer`, `dowwager`, `dwoager`, `odwager`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/dowager