levirate

lev·i·rate  (lvr-t, --rt, lvr-t, -v-rt)

n.

The practice of marrying the widow of one's childless brother to maintain his line, as required by ancient Hebrew law.

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[From Latin lvir, husband's brother; see daiwer- in Indo-European roots.]

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levi·ratic (-rtk), levi·rati·cal adj.

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levirate

the custom under the Mosaic code (Deut. xxv: 5-10) that required a widow to marry her dead husband’s brother if she had no sons. — levirate, leviratical, adj.

See also: Judaism

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

levirate - the biblical institution whereby a man must marry the widow of his childless brother in order to maintain the brother's line institution - a custom that for a long time has been an important feature of some group or society; "the institution of marriage"; "the institution of slavery"; "he had become an institution in the theater"