Dos

I.

In old English law

The property or portion which a freeman gave his wife at the door of the church, in consideration of the nuptials about to take place, and the burden of matrimony; and intended for the support of the wife and education of the children, in case the husband should die; in later law, the one-third part of the husband's lands, which the law, on his death, gave the wife, in case he had not so endowed her; dower in the modern sense. Dos de dote peti non debet: dower ought not to be demanded of dower; a widow is not dowableof lands assigned to another woman in dower. Dos rationabilis: reasonable dower. Doti lex favet; premium pudoris est, ideo parcatur: the law favors dower; it is the reward of modesty, therefore it should be spared, v. De dote, etc.; Vbi nullum, etc. In the Roman law. A sum of money given to a husband, to enable him to sustain the burdens of marriage; the portion given with a woman to her husband in marriage; corresponding with what was called in the common law maritagium, or marriage portion, and properly translated by the word dowry. Dos adventitia: that kind of portion which was bestowed by a stranger. Dos profectitia: that species of dowry or portion which was given by the father or other male relative.