2. To fit in or connect strongly, skillfully, or nicely; to fit ingeniously or complexly.
He put together a piece of joinery so crossly indented and whimsically dovetailed . . . that it was indeed
a very curious show.
Burke. Dovish
(Dov"ish) a. Like a dove; harmless; innocent. "Joined with dovish simplicity." Latimer.
Dow
(Dow) n. A kind of vessel. See Dhow.
Dow
(Dow), v. t. [F. douer. See Dower.] To furnish with a dower; to endow. [Obs.] Wyclif.
Dowable
(Dow"a*ble) a. [From Dow, v. t.] Capable of being endowed; entitled to dower. Blackstone.
Dowager
(Dow"a*ger) n. [OF. douagiere, fr. douage dower. See Dower.]
1. (Eng. Law) A widow endowed, or having a jointure; a widow who either enjoys a dower from her
deceased husband, or has property of her own brought by her to her husband on marriage, and settled
on her after his decease. Blount. Burrill.
2. 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.
With prudes for proctors, dowagers for deans.
Tennyson. Queen dowager, the widow of a king.
Dowagerism
(Dow"a*ger*ism) n. The rank or condition of a dowager; formality, as that of a dowager.
Also used figuratively.
Mansions that have passed away into dowagerism.
Thackeray. Dowcet
(Dow"cet) n. [See Doucet.] One of the testicles of a hart or stag. [Spelt also doucet.] B.
Jonson.
Dowdy
(Dow"dy) a. [Compar. Dowdier ; superl. Dowdiest.] [Scot. dawdie slovenly, daw, da sluggard,
drab, Prov. E. dowd flat, dead.] Showing a vulgar taste in dress; awkward and slovenly in dress; vulgar-
looking. — Dow"di*ly adv. — Dow"di*ness, n.
Dowdy
(Dow"dy), n.; pl. Dowdies An awkward, vulgarly dressed, inelegant woman. Shak. Dryden.
Dowdyish
(Dow"dy*ish), a. Like a dowdy.
Dowel
(Dow"el) n. [Cf. G. döbel peg, F. douelle state of a cask, surface of an arch, douille socket, little
pipe, cartridge.] (Mech.)
1. 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.
2. A piece of wood driven into a wall, so that other pieces may be nailed to it.
Dowel joint, a joint secured by a dowel or dowels. — Dowel pin, a dowel. See Dowel, n., 1.
Dowel
(Dow"el), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Doweled or Dowelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Doweling or Dowelling.]
To fasten together by dowels; to furnish with dowels; as, a cooper dowels pieces for the head of a cask.
Dower
(Dow"er) n. [F. douaire, LL. dotarium, from L. dotare to endow, portion, fr. dos dower; akin to
Gr. gift, and to L. dare to give. See 1st Date, and cf. Dot dowry, Dotation.]
