marriage portion

dowry.

Origin of marriage portion

First recorded in 1760–70

Sultan of Pontiana, he would cede his kingdom and large diamond as a marriage-portion: the parties yet remain single.

The Expedition to Borneo of H.M.S. Dido |Henry Keppel
The Countess Scarabelli,” said my friend, “brought it to her husband as her marriage-portion.

The Diary of a Man of Fifty |Henry James
This money will give my sister a marriage-portion, and possibly influence Doctor Prescott to favor his son's choice.

Jerome, A Poor Man |Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
Besides, it was as much as the marriage-portion of six princesses of Wirtemberg.

A German Pompadour |Marie Hay

“Not so bad a marriage-portion for a private soldier,” I told her, laughing, as I passed it through the bars.

The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 20 (of 25) |Robert Louis Stevenson