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leviratical

Variant of levirate

noun

a custom of the Jews in Biblical times by which a dead man's brother was obligated to marry the widow if there were no sons: Deut. 25:5-10

Origin: L levir, husband's brother, brother-in-law (< *daiwer < IE *dāiwēr > Sans dēvár, Gr daēr, OE tacor) + -ate

Related Forms:

leviratic adjective or leviratical

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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