Definition of dowries:
(n) :
Payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage.
(n) :
(less common) Payment by the groom or his family to the bride's family.
(n) :
A natural gift or talent.
(n) :
(informal) A large amount.
(v) :
To bestow a dowry upon.
(n) :
(obsolete) Inheritance from a deceased husband to his widow.