[Origin: bef. 900; ME < ON gefa (cf. Dan give); r. ME yeven, yiven, OE gefan, giefan; c. D geven, G geben, Goth giban]
—Related forms
giv·a·ble, give·a·ble, adjective, noun
giv·ee, noun
giver, noun
—Synonyms 1. offer, vouchsafe, impart, accord, furnish, provide, supply, donate, contribute. Give,confer,grant,present may mean that something concrete or abstract is bestowed on one person by another. Give is the general word: to give someone a book, permission, etc. Confer usually means to give an honor or a favor; it implies courteous and gracious giving: to confer a degree. Grant is limited to the idea of acceding to a request; it may apply to the bestowal of privileges, or the fulfillment of an expressed wish: to grant a charter, a prayer, permission, etc. Present, a more formal word than give, usually implies a certain ceremony in the giving: to present a citation to a regiment. 18. cede, yield.
To make a present of: We gave her flowers for her birthday.
To place in the hands of; pass: Give me the scissors.
To deliver in exchange or recompense; pay: gave five dollars for the book.
To let go for a price; sell: gave the used car away for two thousand dollars.
To administer: give him some cough medicine.
To convey by a physical action: gave me a punch in the nose.
To inflict as punishment: gave the child a spanking; was given life imprisonment for the crime.
Law To accord by verdict: A decision was given for the plaintiff.
To bestow, especially officially; confer: The Bill of Rights gives us freedom of speech.
To accord or tender to another: Give him your confidence.
To put temporarily at the disposal of: gave them the cottage for a week.
To entrust to another, usually for a specified reason: gave me the keys for safekeeping.
To convey or offer for conveyance: Give him my best wishes.
Law To execute and deliver. Used especially in the phrase give bond.
To endure the loss of; sacrifice: gave her son to the war; gave her life for her country.
To devote or apply completely: gives herself to her work.
To furnish or contribute: gave their time to help others.
To offer in good faith; pledge: Give me your word.
To allot as a portion or share.
To bestow (a name, for example).
To attribute (blame, for example) to someone; assign.
To award as due: gave us first prize.
To proffer to another: gave the toddler my hand.
To consent to engage (oneself) in sexual intercourse with a man.
To perform for an audience: give a recital.
To present to view: gave the sign to begin.
To offer as entertainment: give a dinner party.
To propose as a toast.
To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
To administer: give him some cough medicine.
To convey by a physical action: gave me a punch in the nose.
To inflict as punishment: gave the child a spanking; was given life imprisonment for the crime.
Law To accord by verdict: A decision was given for the plaintiff.
To bestow, especially officially; confer: The Bill of Rights gives us freedom of speech.
To accord or tender to another: Give him your confidence.
To put temporarily at the disposal of: gave them the cottage for a week.
To entrust to another, usually for a specified reason: gave me the keys for safekeeping.
To convey or offer for conveyance: Give him my best wishes.
Law To execute and deliver. Used especially in the phrase give bond.
To endure the loss of; sacrifice: gave her son to the war; gave her life for her country.
To devote or apply completely: gives herself to her work.
To furnish or contribute: gave their time to help others.
To offer in good faith; pledge: Give me your word.
To allot as a portion or share.
To bestow (a name, for example).
To attribute (blame, for example) to someone; assign.
To award as due: gave us first prize.
To proffer to another: gave the toddler my hand.
To consent to engage (oneself) in sexual intercourse with a man.
To perform for an audience: give a recital.
To present to view: gave the sign to begin.
To offer as entertainment: give a dinner party.
To propose as a toast.
To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
To bestow, especially officially; confer: The Bill of Rights gives us freedom of speech.
To accord or tender to another: Give him your confidence.
To put temporarily at the disposal of: gave them the cottage for a week.
To entrust to another, usually for a specified reason: gave me the keys for safekeeping.
To convey or offer for conveyance: Give him my best wishes.
Law To execute and deliver. Used especially in the phrase give bond.
To endure the loss of; sacrifice: gave her son to the war; gave her life for her country.
To devote or apply completely: gives herself to her work.
To furnish or contribute: gave their time to help others.
To offer in good faith; pledge: Give me your word.
To allot as a portion or share.
To bestow (a name, for example).
To attribute (blame, for example) to someone; assign.
To award as due: gave us first prize.
To proffer to another: gave the toddler my hand.
To consent to engage (oneself) in sexual intercourse with a man.
To perform for an audience: give a recital.
To present to view: gave the sign to begin.
To offer as entertainment: give a dinner party.
To propose as a toast.
To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
To endure the loss of; sacrifice: gave her son to the war; gave her life for her country.
To devote or apply completely: gives herself to her work.
To furnish or contribute: gave their time to help others.
To offer in good faith; pledge: Give me your word.
To allot as a portion or share.
To bestow (a name, for example).
To attribute (blame, for example) to someone; assign.
To award as due: gave us first prize.
To proffer to another: gave the toddler my hand.
To consent to engage (oneself) in sexual intercourse with a man.
To perform for an audience: give a recital.
To present to view: gave the sign to begin.
To offer as entertainment: give a dinner party.
To propose as a toast.
To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
To allot as a portion or share.
To bestow (a name, for example).
To attribute (blame, for example) to someone; assign.
To award as due: gave us first prize.
To proffer to another: gave the toddler my hand.
To consent to engage (oneself) in sexual intercourse with a man.
To perform for an audience: give a recital.
To present to view: gave the sign to begin.
To offer as entertainment: give a dinner party.
To propose as a toast.
To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
To emit or utter: gave a groan; gave a muted response.
To submit for consideration, acceptance, or use: give an opinion; give an excuse.
To proffer to another: gave the toddler my hand.
To consent to engage (oneself) in sexual intercourse with a man.
To perform for an audience: give a recital.
To present to view: gave the sign to begin.
To offer as entertainment: give a dinner party.
To propose as a toast.
To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
To perform for an audience: give a recital.
To present to view: gave the sign to begin.
To offer as entertainment: give a dinner party.
To propose as a toast.
To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
To offer as entertainment: give a dinner party.
To propose as a toast.
To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
To permit one to have or take: gave us an hour to finish.
To take an interest to the extent of: "My dear, I don't give a damn"(Margaret Mitchell).
v.
intr.
To make gifts or donations: gives generously to charity.
To yield to physical force.
To collapse from force or pressure: The roof gave under the weight of the snow.
To yield to change: Both sides will have to give on some issues.
To afford access or a view; open: The doors give onto a terrace.
Slang To be in progress; happen: What gives?
n.
Capacity or inclination to yield under pressure.
The quality or condition of resilience; springiness: "Fruits that have some give ... will have more juice than hard ones"(Elizabeth Schneider).
To make a gift of.
To present (a bride) to the bridegroom at a wedding ceremony.
To reveal or make known, often accidentally.
To betray.
To devote to a particular purpose or use: gave the day over to merrymaking.
To surrender (oneself) completely; abandon: finally gave myself over to grief.
To surrender: The suspects gave themselves up.
To devote (oneself) completely: gave herself up to her work.
To cease to do or perform: gave up their search.
To desist from; stop: gave up smoking.
To lose hope for: We had given the dog up as lost.
To lose hope of seeing: We'd given you up an hour ago.
To hand in; submit: She gave in her report.
To cease opposition; yield.
To allow to be known; declare publicly: gave out the bad news.
To send forth; emit: gave out a steady buzzing.
To distribute: gave out the surplus food.
To stop functioning; fail.
To become used up or exhausted; run out: Their determination finally gave out.
To hand over; entrust.
To devote to a particular purpose or use: gave the day over to merrymaking.
To surrender (oneself) completely; abandon: finally gave myself over to grief.
To surrender: The suspects gave themselves up.
To devote (oneself) completely: gave herself up to her work.
To cease to do or perform: gave up their search.
To desist from; stop: gave up smoking.
To lose hope for: We had given the dog up as lost.
To lose hope of seeing: We'd given you up an hour ago.
To cause an activity to stop: ordered the combatants to give over.
To surrender: The suspects gave themselves up.
To devote (oneself) completely: gave herself up to her work.
To cease to do or perform: gave up their search.
To desist from; stop: gave up smoking.
To lose hope for: We had given the dog up as lost.
To lose hope of seeing: We'd given you up an hour ago.
To cease to do or perform: gave up their search.
To desist from; stop: gave up smoking.
To lose hope for: We had given the dog up as lost.
To lose hope of seeing: We'd given you up an hour ago.
To part with; relinquish: gave up the apartment; gave up all hope.
To lose hope for: We had given the dog up as lost.
To lose hope of seeing: We'd given you up an hour ago.
To admit defeat.
To abandon what one is doing or planning to do: gave up on writing the novel.
Phrasal Verb(s): give away
To make a gift of.
To present (a bride) to the bridegroom at a wedding ceremony.
To reveal or make known, often accidentally.
To betray.
give back
To return: gave me back my book. give in
To hand in; submit: She gave in her report.
To cease opposition; yield.
give of
To devote or contribute: She really gave of her time to help. They give of themselves to improve the quality of education. give off
To send forth; emit: chemical changes that give off energy. give out
To allow to be known; declare publicly: gave out the bad news.
To send forth; emit: gave out a steady buzzing.
To distribute: gave out the surplus food.
To stop functioning; fail.
To become used up or exhausted; run out: Their determination finally gave out.
give over
To hand over; entrust.
To devote to a particular purpose or use: gave the day over to merrymaking.
To surrender (oneself) completely; abandon: finally gave myself over to grief.
To cause an activity to stop: ordered the combatants to give over.
give up
To surrender: The suspects gave themselves up.
To devote (oneself) completely: gave herself up to her work.
To cease to do or perform: gave up their search.
To desist from; stop: gave up smoking.
To lose hope for: We had given the dog up as lost.
To lose hope of seeing: We'd given you up an hour ago.
To cease to do or perform: gave up their search.
To desist from; stop: gave up smoking.
To lose hope for: We had given the dog up as lost.
To lose hope of seeing: We'd given you up an hour ago.
To part with; relinquish: gave up the apartment; gave up all hope.
To lose hope for: We had given the dog up as lost.
To lose hope of seeing: We'd given you up an hour ago.
To admit defeat.
To abandon what one is doing or planning to do: gave up on writing the novel.
Idiom(s):
give a good account of (oneself)
To behave or perform creditably.
Idiom(s):
give birth to
To bear as offspring.
To be the origin of: a hobby that gave birth to a successful business.
Idiom(s):
give ground
To yield to a more powerful force; retreat.
Idiom(s):
give it to Informal
To punish or reprimand severely: My parents really gave it to me for coming in late.
Idiom(s):
give or take
Plus or minus a small specified amount: The chalet is close to the road, give or take a few hundred yards.
Idiom(s):
give rise to
To be the cause or origin of; bring about.
Idiom(s):
give (someone) a hard time
To make life difficult for; harass.
To make fun of; tease.
Idiom(s):
give (someone) the eye
To look at admiringly or invitingly.
Idiom(s):
give the lie to
To show to be inaccurate or untrue.
To accuse of lying.
Idiom(s):
give up the ghost
To cease living or functioning; die.
Idiom(s):
give way
To retreat or withdraw.
To yield the right of way: gave way to an oncoming car.
To relinquish ascendancy or position: as day gives way slowly to night.
To collapse from or as if from physical pressure: The ladder gave way.
To yield to urging or demand; give in.
To collapse from or as if from physical pressure: The ladder gave way.
To yield to urging or demand; give in.
To abandon oneself: give way to hysteria.
[Middle English given, from Old English giefan and Old Norse gefa; see ghabh- in Indo-European roots.]
O.E. giefan (W. Saxon), class V strong verb (past tense geaf, pp. giefen), from P.Gmc. *gebanan (cf. O.Fris. jeva, M.Du. gheven, Ger. geben, Goth. giban), from PIE *ghab(h)- "to take, hold, have, give" (see habit). It became yiven in M.E., but changed to guttural "g" by infl. of O.N. gefa "to give," O.Dan. givæ. Meaning "to yield to pressure" is from 1577. Given "allotted, predestined" (O.E. giefeðe) also had a n. sense of "fate," reflecting an important concept in pagan Gmc. ideology. The modern sense of "what is given, known facts" is from 1879. To give (someone) a cold seems to reflect the old belief that one could be cured of disease by deliberately infecting others. What gives? "what is happening?" is attested from 1940. Give-and-take (n.) is originally from horse racing (1769) and refers to races in which bigger horses were given more weight to carry, lighter ones less. Give-away (n.) is from 1872.
the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length
verb
1.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense; "She gave him a black eye"; "The draft gave me a cold"
2.
be the cause or source of; "He gave me a lot of trouble"; "Our meeting afforded much interesting information" [syn: yield]
3.
transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody; "I gave her my money"; "can you give me lessons?"; "She gave the children lots of love and tender loving care" [ant: take]
4.
convey or reveal information; "Give one's name"
5.
convey, as of a compliment, regards, attention, etc.; bestow; "Don't pay him any mind"; "give the orders"; "Give him my best regards"; "pay attention"
6.
organize or be responsible for; "hold a reception"; "have, throw, or make a party"; "give a course" [syn: hold]
7.
convey or communicate; of a smile, a look, a physical gesture; "Throw a glance"; "She gave me a dirty look"
8.
give as a present; make a gift of; "What will you give her for her birthday?"
9.
cause to happen or be responsible for; "His two singles gave the team the victory"
10.
dedicate; "give thought to"; "give priority to"; "pay attention to"
11.
give or supply; "The cow brings in 5 liters of milk"; "This year's crop yielded 1,000 bushels of corn"; "The estate renders some revenue for the family" [syn: render]
12.
transmit (knowledge or skills); "give a secret to the Russians"; "leave your name and address here"; "impart a new skill to the students" [syn: impart]
13.
bring about; "The trompe l'oeil-illusion establishes depth" [syn: establish]
14.
leave with; give temporarily; "Can I give you my keys while I go in the pool?"; "Can I give you the children for the weekend?"
15.
emit or utter; "Give a gulp"; "give a yelp"
16.
endure the loss of; "He gave his life for his children"; "I gave two sons to the war" [syn: sacrifice]
17.
place into the hands or custody of; "hand me the spoon, please"; "Turn the files over to me, please"; "He turned over the prisoner to his lawyers" [syn: pass]
18.
give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause; "She committed herself to the work of God"; "give one's talents to a good cause"; "consecrate your life to the church"
19.
give (as medicine); "I gave him the drug"
20.
give or convey physically; "She gave him First Aid"; "I gave him a punch in the nose"
21.
bestow; "give homage"; "render thanks"
22.
bestow, especially officially; "grant a degree"; "give a divorce"; "This bill grants us new rights" [syn: grant]
23.
move in order to make room for someone for something; "The park gave way to a supermarket"; "'Move over,' he told the crowd" [syn: move over]
24.
give food to; "Feed the starving children in India"; "don't give the child this tough meat" [syn: feed] [ant: famish]
25.
contribute to some cause; "I gave at the office" [syn: contribute]
26.
break down, literally or metaphorically; "The wall collapsed"; "The business collapsed"; "The dam broke"; "The roof collapsed"; "The wall gave in"; "The roof finally gave under the weight of the ice" [syn: collapse]
27.
estimate the duration or outcome of something; "He gave the patient three months to live"; "I gave him a very good chance at success"
28.
execute and deliver; "Give bond"
29.
deliver in exchange or recompense; "I'll give you three books for four CDs"
30.
afford access to; "the door opens to the patio"; "The French doors give onto a terrace" [syn: afford]
31.
present to view; "He gave the sign to start"
32.
perform for an audience; "Pollini is giving another concert in New York"
33.
be flexible under stress of physical force; "This material doesn't give"
34.
propose; "He gave the first of many toasts at the birthday party"
35.
accord by verdict; "give a decision for the plaintiff"
36.
manifest or show; "This student gives promise of real creativity"; "The office gave evidence of tampering"
37.
offer in good faith; "He gave her his word"
38.
submit for consideration, judgment, or use; "give one's opinion"; "give an excuse"
39.
guide or direct, as by behavior of persuasion; "You gave me to think that you agreed with me"
40.
allow to have or take; "I give you two minutes to respond"
41.
inflict as a punishment; "She gave the boy a good spanking"; "The judge gave me 10 years"
42.
occur; "what gives?"
43.
consent to engage in sexual intercourse with a man; "She gave herself to many men"
44.
proffer (a body part); "She gave her hand to her little sister"
For*give"\, v. t. [imp. Forgave; p. p. Forgiven; p. pr. & vb. n. Forgiving] [OE. forgiven, foryiven, foryeven, AS. forgiefan, forgifan; perh. for- + giefan, gifan to give; cf. D. vergeven, G. vergeben, Icel. fyrirgefa, Sw. f?rgifva, Goth. fragiban to give, grant. See For-, and Give, v. t.]1. To give wholly; to make over without reservation; to resign. To them that list the world's gay shows I leave, And to great ones such folly do forgive. --Spenser. 2. To give up resentment or claim to requital on account of (an offense or wrong); to remit the penalty of; to pardon; -- said in reference to the act forgiven. And their sins should be forgiven them. --Mark iv. 12. He forgive injures so readily that he might be said to invite them. --Macaulay. 3. To cease to feel resentment against, on account of wrong committed; to give up claim to requital from or retribution upon (an offender); to absolve; to pardon; -- said of the person offending. Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. --Luke xxiii. 34. I as free forgive you, as I would be fforgiven. --Shak. Note: Sometimes both the person and the offense follow as objects of the verb, sometimes one and sometimes the other being the indirect object. "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." --Matt. vi. 12. "Be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." --Matt. ix. 2. Syn: See excuse.
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Audio Help [giv] Pronunciation Key verb, gave, giv·en, giv·ing, noun 
