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6 dictionary results for: Favor
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
fa·vor       [fey-ver] Pronunciation Key
–noun
1.something done or granted out of goodwill, rather than from justice or for remuneration; a kind act: to ask a favor.
2.friendly or well-disposed regard; goodwill: to win the favor of the king.
3.the state of being approved or held in regard: to be in favor at court; styles that are now in favor.
4.excessive kindness or unfair partiality; preferential treatment: to treat some people with favor and others with neglect.
5.a gift bestowed as a token of goodwill, kind regard, love, etc., as formerly upon a knight by his lady.
6.a ribbon, badge, etc., worn in evidence of goodwill or loyalty, as by an adherent of a political party.
7.a small gift or decorative or festive item, as a noisemaker or paper hat, often distributed to guests at a party.
8.Usually, favors. sexual intimacy, esp. as permitted by a woman.
9.Archaic. a letter, esp. a commercial one.
–verb (used with object)
10.to regard with favor: to favor an enterprise.
11.to prefer; treat with partiality: The father favored his younger son.
12.to show favor to; oblige: The king favored him with an audience.
13.to be favorable to; facilitate: The wind favored their journey.
14.to deal with, treat, or use gently: to favor a lame leg.
15.to aid or support: He favored his party's cause with ample funds.
16.to bear a physical resemblance to; resemble: to favor one's father's side of the family.
17.find favor with, to gain the favor of; be liked by: The play found favor with the opening-night audience.
18.in favor of,
a.on the side of; in support of: to be in favor of reduced taxation.
b.to the advantage of.
c.(of a check, draft, etc.) payable to: Make out your checks in favor of the corporation.
19.in one's favor, to one's credit or advantage: All the comments were in your favor.
20.out of favor, no longer liked or approved; no longer popular or fashionable: He's out of favor with the president and may soon be fired.
Also, especially British, favour.


[Origin: 1250–1300; ME favo(u)r < AF, OF < L favōr- (s. of favor) goodwill, equiv. to fav(ére) to be favorably inclined + -ōr- -or1]

fa·vor·er, noun

2. Favor, goodwill imply a kindly regard or friendly disposition shown by an individual or group. Favor may be merely an attitude of mind: to look with favor on a proposal. Goodwill is more active and leads often to outward manifestations of friendly approval: By frequent applause the audience showed its goodwill toward the speaker. 5. present. 10. approve, countenance, sanction. 12. encourage, patronize. 15. help, assist.
2. animosity, malice. 10. disapprove.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
fa·vor       (fā'vər)  Pronunciation Key 
n.  
  1. A gracious, friendly, or obliging act that is freely granted: do someone a favor.
    1. Friendly or favorable regard; approval or support: won the favor of the monarch; looked with favor on the plan.
    2. A state of being held in such regard: a style currently in favor.
    3. A privilege or concession.
    4. favors Sexual privileges, especially as granted by a woman.
    5. Something given as a token of love, affection, or remembrance.
    6. A small decorative gift given to each guest at a party.
    7. Aspect or appearance.
    8. Countenance; face.
  2. Unfair partiality; favoritism.
    1. A privilege or concession.
    2. favors Sexual privileges, especially as granted by a woman.
    3. Something given as a token of love, affection, or remembrance.
    4. A small decorative gift given to each guest at a party.
    5. Aspect or appearance.
    6. Countenance; face.
    1. Something given as a token of love, affection, or remembrance.
    2. A small decorative gift given to each guest at a party.
    3. Aspect or appearance.
    4. Countenance; face.
  3. Advantage; benefit: sailed under favor of cloudless skies.
  4. Behalf; interest: an error in our favor.
  5. Obsolete A communication, especially a letter.
  6. Archaic
    1. Aspect or appearance.
    2. Countenance; face.
  7. Obsolete A facial feature.

v.   fa·vored, fa·vor·ing, fa·vors

v.   tr.
  1. To perform a kindness or service for; oblige. See Synonyms at oblige.
  2. To treat or regard with friendship, approval, or support.
  3. To be partial to; indulge a liking for: favors bright colors.
  4. To be or tend to be in support of.
  5. To make easier or more possible; facilitate: Darkness favored their escape.
  6. To treat with care; be gentle with: favored my wounded leg.
  7. Chiefly Southern U.S. To resemble in appearance: She favors her father.

v.   intr. Chiefly Southern U.S.
To resemble another in appearance: She and her father favor.


[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin, from favēre, to be favorable.]

fa'vor·er n., fa'vor·ing·ly adv.
When a Southerner favors a relative, he or she is not giving that person special privileges; rather, the Southerner looks like that relative. Favor can be either transitive—She favors her father—or intransitive with a compound subject: She and her father favor. This sense of favor goes back to early modern English: "This young lord Chamont/Favors my mother" (Ben Jonson). The verb derives from the noun favor, which was used from the 15th to the 19th century to mean "appearance, aspect; the countenance, face": "What makes thy favor like the bloodless head/Fall'n on the block?" (Tennyson). This sense of the noun is now archaic, but the verb thrives in the English of the Southern United States.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
favor  (n.)
c.1300, from O.Fr. favor, from L. favorem (nom. favor) "good will or support," coined by Cicero from stem of favere "to show kindness to," from PIE *dhegh-/*dhogh- "burn." Meaning "thing given as a mark of favor" is from 1588. The verb meaning "to regard with favor" is from 1340.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
favor

noun
1. an act of gracious kindness 
2. an advantage to the benefit of someone or something; "the outcome was in his favor" 
3. an inclination to approve; "that style is in favor this season" 
4. a feeling of favorable regard 
5. souvenir consisting of a small gift given to a guest at a party [syn: party favor

verb
1. promote over another; "he favors his second daughter" [syn: prefer
2. consider as the favorite; "The local team was favored" 
3. treat gently or carefully 
4. bestow a privilege upon [syn: privilege

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

favor

Chal"lenge\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Challenged; p. pr. & vb. n. Challenging.] [OE. chalengen to accuse, claim, OF. chalengier, chalongier, to claim, accuse, dispute, fr. L. calumniar to attack with false accusations. See Challenge, n., and cf. Calumniate.]

1. To call to a contest of any kind; to call to answer; to defy.

I challenge any man to make any pretense to power by right of fatherhood. --Locke.

2. To call, invite, or summon to answer for an offense by personal combat.

By this I challenge him to single fight. --Shak.

3. To claim as due; to demand as a right.

Challenge better terms. --Addison.

4. To censure; to blame. [Obs.]

He complained of the emperors . . . and challenged them for that he had no greater revenues . . . from them. --Holland.

5. (Mil.) To question or demand the countersign from (one who attempts to pass the lines); as, the sentinel challenged us, with "Who comes there?"

6. To take exception to; question; as, to challenge the accuracy of a statement or of a quotation.

7. (Law) To object to or take exception to, as to a juror, or member of a court.

8. To object to the reception of the vote of, as on the ground that the person in not qualified as a voter. [U. S.]

To challenge to the array, favor, polls. See under Challenge, n.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Favor

Cur"ry\ (k?r"r?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Curried (-r?d); p. pr. & vb. n. Currying.] [OE. curraien, curreien, OF. cunreer, correier, to prepare, arrange, furnish, curry (a horse), F. corroyer to curry (leather) (cf. OF. conrei, conroi, order, arrangement, LL. conredium); cor- (L. com-) + roi, rei, arrangement, order; prob. of German origin, and akin to E. ready. See Ready, Greith, and cf. Corody, Array.]

1. To dress or prepare for use by a process of scraping, cleansing, beating, smoothing, and coloring; -- said of leather.

2. To dress the hair or coat of (a horse, ox, or the like) with a currycomb and brush; to comb, as a horse, in order to make clean.

Your short horse is soon curried. --Beau. & FL.

3. To beat or bruise; to drub; -- said of persons.

I have seen him curry a fellow's carcass handsomely. --Beau. & FL.

To curry favor, to seek to gain favor by flattery or attentions. See Favor, n.

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