1520s, from Middle French douagere "widow with a dower" literally "pertaining to a dower," from douage "dower," from douer "endow," from Latin dotare, from dos (genitive dotis) "dowry" (see dowry).
权威例句
1. Nobody was allowed to eat in the Empress Dowager's presence.
在皇帝遗孀面前任何人不得进餐。
2. the dowager Duchess of Norfolk
诺福克公爵遗孀
3. The Empress Dowager of the Qing Dynasty attended to state affairs for several decades.
清朝慈禧太后垂帘听政几十年.
4. Even the Dowager had not been as incompetent.
西太后本人当时并非是无能为力的.
5. Here was still a lofty self - regard in her bearing the dignity of a dowager empress.