Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Bestow
Be-stow′
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Bestowed
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Bestowing
.] 1.
To lay up in store; to deposit for safe keeping; to stow; to place; to put.
“He bestowed it in a pouch.” Sir W. Scott.
See that the women are
bestowed
in safety. Byron.
2.
To use; to apply; to devote, as time or strength in some occupation.
3.
To expend, as money.
[Obs.]
4.
To give or confer; to impart; – with on or upon.
Empire is on us
bestowed
. Cowper.
Though I
bestow
all my goods to feed the poor. 1 Cor. xiii. 3.
5.
To give in marriage.
I could have
bestowed
her upon a fine gentleman. Tatler.
6.
To demean; to conduct; to behave; – followed by a reflexive pronoun.
[Obs.]
How might we see Falstaff
bestow
himself to-night in his true colors, and not ourselves be seen ? Shakespeare
Syn. – To give; grant; present; confer; accord.
Definition 2024
bestow
bestow
English
Verb
bestow (third-person singular simple present bestows, present participle bestowing, simple past and past participle bestowed)
- (transitive) To lay up in store; deposit for safe keeping; stow; place.
- 1611, King James Bible, Luke 12:17:
- And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits.
- 1977, J.R.R. Tolkien, Of the Rings of Power, HarperCollins, page 358:
- Of the Three Rings that the Elves had preserved unsullied no open word was ever spoken among the Wise, and few even of the Eldar knew where they were bestowed.
- 1611, King James Bible, Luke 12:17:
- (transitive) To lodge, or find quarters for; provide with accommodation.
- 1838, Ben Jonson, The works of Ben Jonson:
- Well, my masters, I'll leave him with you; now I see him bestowed, I'll go look for my goods, and Numps.
- 1838, Ben Jonson, The works of Ben Jonson:
- (Can we verify(+) this sense?) (transitive) To dispose of.
- 1615-17, Thomas Middleton et al., The Widow, in The Ancient British drama, edited by Robert Dodsley, Sir Walter Scott, published 1810:
- Here are blank warrants of all dispositions; give me but the name and nature of your malefactor, and I'll bestow him according to his merits.
- 1615-17, Thomas Middleton et al., The Widow, in The Ancient British drama, edited by Robert Dodsley, Sir Walter Scott, published 1810:
- (transitive) To give; confer; impart gratuitously; present something to someone as a gift or honour.
- Medals were bestowed on the winning team.
- 2008, Illiad, Userfriendly.org, “The Large Hadron Collider Game”
- CERN bestows slush fund on the LHC. Take all pennies from the CERN space.
- 1831, Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
- Soft tears again bedewed my cheeks, and I even raised my humid eyes with thankfulness towards the blessed sun which bestowed such joy upon me.
- (transitive) To give in marriage.
- 1590-92, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, Act 1, Scene 1, lines 50-51:
- That is not to bestow my youngest daughter/ before I have a husband for the elder.
- 1709, Joseph Addison, The Tatler, number 75:
- I could have bestowed her upon a fine gentleman.
- 1590-92, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, Act 1, Scene 1, lines 50-51:
- (transitive) To apply; make use of; use; employ.
- 1887, John Marston, Arthur Henry Bullen, The Works of John Marston:
- [...] I determine to bestow Some time in learning languages abroad; [...]
- 1887, John Marston, Arthur Henry Bullen, The Works of John Marston:
- (Can we verify(+) this sense?) (transitive, obsolete) To behave or deport.
Derived terms
Translations
to lay up in store
to dispose of
to present a thing as a gift or honour
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