levirate

英 ['liːvɪrət; 'lev-] 美['livɪrɪt]
  • n. 寡妇与亡夫兄弟的结婚

英英释义


1. the biblical institution whereby a man must marry the widow of his childless brother in order to maintain the brother's line

英文词源


levirate (n.)
custom by which the male next-of-kin of a dead man was bound to marry his widow, 1725, from Latin levir "brother-in-law" (from PIE *daiwer- "husband's brother") + -ate (2).