levirate: Meaning and Definition of

lev•i•rate

Pronunciation: (lev'ur-it, -u-rāt", lē'vur-it, -vu-rāt"), [key]
— n.
  1. the custom of marriage by a man with his brother's widow, such marriage required in Biblical law if the deceased was childless. Deut. 25:5–10.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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