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give-up
6 dictionary results for: give up
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
give-up       [giv-uhp] Pronunciation Key
–noun
1.something conceded or relinquished; concession: Labor has balked at any more give-ups in the contract talks.
2.Stock Exchange.
a.a commission shared among two or more stockbrokers.
b.a part of a commission that constitutes a single such share.
[Origin: 1965–70; n. use of v. phrase give up]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
give       [giv] Pronunciation Key verb, gave, giv·en, giv·ing, noun
–verb (used with object)
1.to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation; bestow: to give a birthday present to someone.
2.to hand to someone: Give me that plate, please.
3.to place in someone's care: If you give me your coat, I'll put it in the closet.
4.to grant (permission, opportunity, etc.) to someone: Give me a chance.
5.to impart or communicate: to give advice; to give a cold to someone.
6.to set forth or show; present; offer: He gave no reason for his lateness.
7.to pay or transfer possession to another in exchange for something: They gave five dollars for the picture. He gave me the car for $800.
8.to furnish, provide, or proffer: to give evidence; Let me give you my umbrella before you go out in this rain.
9.to provide as an entertainment or social function: to give a New Year's Eve party.
10.to deal or administer: to give a blow to someone; to give medicine to a patient.
11.to put forth, emit, or utter; issue: to give a cry; to give a command.
12.to assign or admit as a basis of calculation or reasoning (usually used passively): These facts being given, the argument makes sense.
13.to produce, yield, or afford: to give good results; 9 × 8 gives 72; The hen gave six eggs a week.
14.to make, do, or perform: to give a start; to give a lurch.
15.to perform or present publicly: to give a play; to give a concert.
16.to cause; be responsible for (usually fol. by an infinitive): They gave me to understand that you would be there.
17.to care about something to the value or extent of (something fanciful): I don't give a hoot about his opinion.
18.to relinquish or sacrifice: to give one's life for a cause.
19.to convey or transmit: Give Aunt Betty my love.
20.to assign or allot: Give every man a full ration of biscuits. They gave him the name of “Joseph.”
21.to bestow (the object of one's choice) upon, as if by providence: Give me the wide open spaces anytime.
22.to be connected with, as by a telephone operator: Give me 235-7522.
23.to present to an audience, as an entertainer, speaker, or act: Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the governor of Texas.
24.to attribute or ascribe: to give the devil his due; After long study the critic gave the unsigned work to a minor impressionist.
25.to cause or occasion: She gives me a pain in the neck.
26.to apply fully or freely: He gives his free time to golf.
27.to award by verdict or after consideration: A decision was given for the defendant.
28.to inflict as a punishment on another; punish by; impose a sentence of: The judge gave him five years.
29.to pledge, offer as a pledge, or execute and deliver: He gave her his promise. Can you give bond?
30.to propose as the subject of a toast (fol. by an indirect object): Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our country.
31.to bear to a man; deliver (fol. by an indirect object): She gave him a beautiful baby boy.
32.to sire upon a woman; father (fol. by an indirect object): He gave her two children in the first five years of marriage.
33.to concede or grant, as a point in an argument.
–verb (used without object)
34.to make a gift or gifts; contribute: to give to the United Way.
35.to yield somewhat, as to influence or force; compromise: We can't negotiate until each side is willing to give on some points.
36.to yield somewhat when subjected to weight, force, pressure, etc.: A horsehair mattress doesn't give much.
37.to collapse; break down; fall apart; fail: The antique chair gave when I sat on it.
38.to be warm and open in relationships with other persons: a withdrawn person who doesn't know how to give.
39.Informal. to divulge information: Okay now, give! What happened?
40.to afford a view or passage; face, open, or lead (usually fol. by on, onto, etc.): The window gives on the sea. This door gives onto the hallway.
–noun
41.the quality or state of being resilient; springiness.
—Verb phrases
42.give away,
a.to give as a present; bestow.
b.to present (the bride) to the bridegroom in a marriage ceremony.
c.to expose or betray (a person).
d.to reveal (a confidence or secret, hidden motives, true feelings, etc.): That remark gave away his real feelings.
43.give back, to return (something), as to its owner; restore: You haven't given back the books you borrowed from me.
44.give birth to. birth (def. 10).
45.give in,
a.to acknowledge defeat; yield.
b.to hand in; deliver: Please give in your timecards.
46.give of, to devote or contribute generously of: to give of oneself; to give of one's abundance.
47.give off, to put forth; emit: The gardenia gives off a very strong fragrance.
48.give out,
a.to send out; emit.
b.to make public; announce.
c.to distribute; issue.
d.to become exhausted.
e.to become used up; fail: The fuel gave out.
f.to do or express something, esp. unrestrainedly or easily: to give out with a song.
49.give over,
a.to put into the care of; transfer: She gave over all her property to her daughter.
b.to put an end to; stop: They will never give over their impossible dreams.
c.to indulge in without restraint: She gave herself over to tears.
d.to devote to a specified activity: The day was given over to relaxing in the sun.
50.give up,
a.to abandon hope; despair.
b.to desist from; renounce: to give up smoking.
c.to surrender; relinquish.
d.to devote (oneself) entirely to: She gave herself up to her job and seldom saw her old friends.
e.South Midland U.S. to consider; deem: She's given up to be the kindest woman around here.
—Idioms
51.give and take,
a.to compromise in order to cooperate: A willingness to give and take is important for success in marriage.
b.to exchange ideas: an informal meeting in which there would be opportunities to give and take.
52.give battle. battle1 (def. 10).
53.give ground, to yield before superior force, as of arms or of reasoning.
54.give it to, Informal. to reprimand or punish: His father really gave it to him for coming home so late.
55.give or take, plus or minus a specified amount; more or less: It will cost $20, give or take a dollar or two.
56.give rise to. rise (def. 55).
57.give way. way (def. 26).
[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.
—Antonyms 1. receive.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
give       (gĭv)  Pronunciation Key 
v.   gave (gāv), giv·en (gĭv'ən), giv·ing, gives

v.   tr.
  1. To make a present of: We gave her flowers for her birthday.
  2. To place in the hands of; pass: Give me the scissors.
    1. To deliver in exchange or recompense; pay: gave five dollars for the book.
    2. To let go for a price; sell: gave the used car away for two thousand dollars.
    3. To administer: give him some cough medicine.
    4. To convey by a physical action: gave me a punch in the nose.
    5. To inflict as punishment: gave the child a spanking; was given life imprisonment for the crime.
    6. Law To accord by verdict: A decision was given for the plaintiff.
    7. To bestow, especially officially; confer: The Bill of Rights gives us freedom of speech.
    8. To accord or tender to another: Give him your confidence.
    9. To put temporarily at the disposal of: gave them the cottage for a week.
    10. To entrust to another, usually for a specified reason: gave me the keys for safekeeping.
    11. To convey or offer for conveyance: Give him my best wishes.
    12. Law To execute and deliver. Used especially in the phrase give bond.
    13. To endure the loss of; sacrifice: gave her son to the war; gave her life for her country.
    14. To devote or apply completely: gives herself to her work.
    15. To furnish or contribute: gave their time to help others.
    16. To offer in good faith; pledge: Give me your word.
    17. To allot as a portion or share.
    18. To bestow (a name, for example).
    19. To attribute (blame, for example) to someone; assign.
    20. To award as due: gave us first prize.
    21. To proffer to another: gave the toddler my hand.
    22. To consent to engage (oneself) in sexual intercourse with a man.
    23. To perform for an audience: give a recital.
    24. To present to view: gave the sign to begin.
    25. To offer as entertainment: give a dinner party.
    26. To propose as a toast.
    27. To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
    28. To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
    29. To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
    30. To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
    31. To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
    32. To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
    33. To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
    34. To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
    1. To administer: give him some cough medicine.
    2. To convey by a physical action: gave me a punch in the nose.
    3. To inflict as punishment: gave the child a spanking; was given life imprisonment for the crime.
    4. Law To accord by verdict: A decision was given for the plaintiff.
    5. To bestow, especially officially; confer: The Bill of Rights gives us freedom of speech.
    6. To accord or tender to another: Give him your confidence.
    7. To put temporarily at the disposal of: gave them the cottage for a week.
    8. To entrust to another, usually for a specified reason: gave me the keys for safekeeping.
    9. To convey or offer for conveyance: Give him my best wishes.
    10. Law To execute and deliver. Used especially in the phrase give bond.
    11. To endure the loss of; sacrifice: gave her son to the war; gave her life for her country.
    12. To devote or apply completely: gives herself to her work.
    13. To furnish or contribute: gave their time to help others.
    14. To offer in good faith; pledge: Give me your word.
    15. To allot as a portion or share.
    16. To bestow (a name, for example).
    17. To attribute (blame, for example) to someone; assign.
    18. To award as due: gave us first prize.
    19. To proffer to another: gave the toddler my hand.
    20. To consent to engage (oneself) in sexual intercourse with a man.
    21. To perform for an audience: give a recital.
    22. To present to view: gave the sign to begin.
    23. To offer as entertainment: give a dinner party.
    24. To propose as a toast.
    25. To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
    26. To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
    27. To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
    28. To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
    29. To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
    30. To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
    31. To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
    32. To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
    1. To bestow, especially officially; confer: The Bill of Rights gives us freedom of speech.
    2. To accord or tender to another: Give him your confidence.
    3. To put temporarily at the disposal of: gave them the cottage for a week.
    4. To entrust to another, usually for a specified reason: gave me the keys for safekeeping.
    5. To convey or offer for conveyance: Give him my best wishes.
    6. Law To execute and deliver. Used especially in the phrase give bond.
    7. To endure the loss of; sacrifice: gave her son to the war; gave her life for her country.
    8. To devote or apply completely: gives herself to her work.
    9. To furnish or contribute: gave their time to help others.
    10. To offer in good faith; pledge: Give me your word.
    11. To allot as a portion or share.
    12. To bestow (a name, for example).
    13. To attribute (blame, for example) to someone; assign.
    14. To award as due: gave us first prize.
    15. To proffer to another: gave the toddler my hand.
    16. To consent to engage (oneself) in sexual intercourse with a man.
    17. To perform for an audience: give a recital.
    18. To present to view: gave the sign to begin.
    19. To offer as entertainment: give a dinner party.
    20. To propose as a toast.
    21. To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
    22. To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
    23. To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
    24. To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
    25. To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
    26. To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
    27. To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
    28. To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
    1. To endure the loss of; sacrifice: gave her son to the war; gave her life for her country.
    2. To devote or apply completely: gives herself to her work.
    3. To furnish or contribute: gave their time to help others.
    4. To offer in good faith; pledge: Give me your word.
    5. To allot as a portion or share.
    6. To bestow (a name, for example).
    7. To attribute (blame, for example) to someone; assign.
    8. To award as due: gave us first prize.
    9. To proffer to another: gave the toddler my hand.
    10. To consent to engage (oneself) in sexual intercourse with a man.
    11. To perform for an audience: give a recital.
    12. To present to view: gave the sign to begin.
    13. To offer as entertainment: give a dinner party.
    14. To propose as a toast.
    15. To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
    16. To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
    17. To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
    18. To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
    19. To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
    20. To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
    21. To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
    22. To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
    1. To allot as a portion or share.
    2. To bestow (a name, for example).
    3. To attribute (blame, for example) to someone; assign.
    4. To award as due: gave us first prize.
    5. To proffer to another: gave the toddler my hand.
    6. To consent to engage (oneself) in sexual intercourse with a man.
    7. To perform for an audience: give a recital.
    8. To present to view: gave the sign to begin.
    9. To offer as entertainment: give a dinner party.
    10. To propose as a toast.
    11. To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
    12. To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
    13. To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
    14. To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
    15. To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
    16. To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
    17. To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
    18. To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
  8. To emit or utter: gave a groan; gave a muted response.
  9. To submit for consideration, acceptance, or use: give an opinion; give an excuse.
    1. To proffer to another: gave the toddler my hand.
    2. To consent to engage (oneself) in sexual intercourse with a man.
    3. To perform for an audience: give a recital.
    4. To present to view: gave the sign to begin.
    5. To offer as entertainment: give a dinner party.
    6. To propose as a toast.
    7. To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
    8. To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
    9. To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
    10. To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
    11. To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
    12. To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
    13. To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
    14. To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
    1. To perform for an audience: give a recital.
    2. To present to view: gave the sign to begin.
    3. To offer as entertainment: give a dinner party.
    4. To propose as a toast.
    5. To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
    6. To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
    7. To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
    8. To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
    9. To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
    10. To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
    11. To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
    12. To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
    1. To offer as entertainment: give a dinner party.
    2. To propose as a toast.
    3. To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
    4. To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
    5. To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
    6. To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
    7. To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
    8. To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
    9. To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
    10. To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
    1. To be a source of; afford: His remark gave offense. Music gives her pleasure.
    2. To cause to catch or be subject to (a disease or bodily condition): The draft gave me a cold.
    3. To guide or direct, as by persuasion or behavior. Used with an infinitive phrase: You gave me to imagine you approved of my report.
    4. To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
    5. To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
    6. To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
    7. To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
    8. To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
    1. To yield or produce: Cows give milk.
    2. To bring forth or bear: trees that give fruit.
    3. To produce as a result of calculation: 5 × 12 gives 60.
    4. To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
    5. To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
    1. To manifest or show: gives promise of brilliance; gave evidence of tampering.
    2. To carry out (a physical movement): give a wink; give a start.
  16. To permit one to have or take: gave us an hour to finish.
  17. To take an interest to the extent of: "My dear, I don't give a damn" (Margaret Mitchell).

v.   intr.
  1. To make gifts or donations: gives generously to charity.
    1. To yield to physical force.
    2. To collapse from force or pressure: The roof gave under the weight of the snow.
    3. To yield to change: Both sides will have to give on some issues.
  3. To afford access or a view; open: The doors give onto a terrace.
  4. Slang To be in progress; happen: What gives?

n.  
  1. Capacity or inclination to yield under pressure.
  2. The quality or condition of resilience; springiness: "Fruits that have some give ... will have more juice than hard ones" (Elizabeth Schneider).
  3. To make a gift of.
  4. To present (a bride) to the bridegroom at a wedding ceremony.
    1. To reveal or make known, often accidentally.
    2. To betray.
    3. To devote to a particular purpose or use: gave the day over to merrymaking.
    4. To surrender (oneself) completely; abandon: finally gave myself over to grief.
    5. To surrender: The suspects gave themselves up.
    6. To devote (oneself) completely: gave herself up to her work.
    7. To cease to do or perform: gave up their search.
    8. To desist from; stop: gave up smoking.
    9. To lose hope for: We had given the dog up as lost.
    10. To lose hope of seeing: We'd given you up an hour ago.
  6. To hand in; submit: She gave in her report.
  7. To cease opposition; yield.
  8. To allow to be known; declare publicly: gave out the bad news.
  9. To send forth; emit: gave out a steady buzzing.
  10. To distribute: gave out the surplus food.
  11. To stop functioning; fail.
  12. To become used up or exhausted; run out: Their determination finally gave out.
  13. To hand over; entrust.
    1. To devote to a particular purpose or use: gave the day over to merrymaking.
    2. To surrender (oneself) completely; abandon: finally gave myself over to grief.
    3. To surrender: The suspects gave themselves up.
    4. To devote (oneself) completely: gave herself up to her work.
    5. To cease to do or perform: gave up their search.
    6. To desist from; stop: gave up smoking.
    7. To lose hope for: We had given the dog up as lost.
    8. To lose hope of seeing: We'd given you up an hour ago.
  15. To cause an activity to stop: ordered the combatants to give over.
    1. To surrender: The suspects gave themselves up.
    2. To devote (oneself) completely: gave herself up to her work.
    3. To cease to do or perform: gave up their search.
    4. To desist from; stop: gave up smoking.
    5. To lose hope for: We had given the dog up as lost.
    6. To lose hope of seeing: We'd given you up an hour ago.
    1. To cease to do or perform: gave up their search.
    2. To desist from; stop: gave up smoking.
    3. To lose hope for: We had given the dog up as lost.
    4. To lose hope of seeing: We'd given you up an hour ago.
  18. To part with; relinquish: gave up the apartment; gave up all hope.
    1. To lose hope for: We had given the dog up as lost.
    2. To lose hope of seeing: We'd given you up an hour ago.
  20. To admit defeat.
  21. To abandon what one is doing or planning to do: gave up on writing the novel.

Phrasal Verb(s):
give away
  1. To make a gift of.
  2. To present (a bride) to the bridegroom at a wedding ceremony.
    1. To reveal or make known, often accidentally.
    2. To betray.
give back
To return: gave me back my book.
give in
  1. To hand in; submit: She gave in her report.
  2. 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
  1. To allow to be known; declare publicly: gave out the bad news.
  2. To send forth; emit: gave out a steady buzzing.
  3. To distribute: gave out the surplus food.
  4. To stop functioning; fail.
  5. To become used up or exhausted; run out: Their determination finally gave out.
give over
  1. To hand over; entrust.
    1. To devote to a particular purpose or use: gave the day over to merrymaking.
    2. To surrender (oneself) completely; abandon: finally gave myself over to grief.
  3. To cause an activity to stop: ordered the combatants to give over.
give up
    1. To surrender: The suspects gave themselves up.
    2. To devote (oneself) completely: gave herself up to her work.
    3. To cease to do or perform: gave up their search.
    4. To desist from; stop: gave up smoking.
    5. To lose hope for: We had given the dog up as lost.
    6. To lose hope of seeing: We'd given you up an hour ago.
    1. To cease to do or perform: gave up their search.
    2. To desist from; stop: gave up smoking.
    3. To lose hope for: We had given the dog up as lost.
    4. To lose hope of seeing: We'd given you up an hour ago.
  3. To part with; relinquish: gave up the apartment; gave up all hope.
    1. To lose hope for: We had given the dog up as lost.
    2. To lose hope of seeing: We'd given you up an hour ago.
  5. To admit defeat.
  6. 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
  1. To bear as offspring.
  2. 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
  1. To make life difficult for; harass.
  2. To make fun of; tease.

Idiom(s):
give (someone) the eye
To look at admiringly or invitingly.

Idiom(s):
give the lie to
  1. To show to be inaccurate or untrue.
  2. To accuse of lying.

Idiom(s):
give up the ghost
To cease living or functioning; die.

Idiom(s):
give way
    1. To retreat or withdraw.
    2. To yield the right of way: gave way to an oncoming car.
    3. To relinquish ascendancy or position: as day gives way slowly to night.
    4. To collapse from or as if from physical pressure: The ladder gave way.
    5. To yield to urging or demand; give in.
    1. To collapse from or as if from physical pressure: The ladder gave way.
    2. To yield to urging or demand; give in.
  3. To abandon oneself: give way to hysteria.

[Middle English given, from Old English giefan and Old Norse gefa; see ghabh- in Indo-European roots.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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give up

verb
1. lose (s.th.) or lose the right to (s.th.) by some error, offense, or crime; "you've forfeited your right to name your successor"; "forfeited property" [syn: forfeit] [ant: arrogate] 
2. give up with the intent of never claiming again; "Abandon your life to God"; "She gave up her children to her ex-husband when she moved to Tahiti"; "We gave the drowning victim up for dead" [syn: abandon] 
3. give up in the face of defeat of lacking hope; admit defeat; "In the second round, the challenger gave up" [syn: drop out] [ant: enter] 
4. put an end to a state or an activity; "Quit teasing your little brother" [syn: discontinue] [ant: bear on] 
5. give up what is not strictly needed; "he asked if they could spare one of their horses to speed his journey" [syn: spare] 
6. part with a possession or right; "I am relinquishing my bedroom to the long-term house guest"; "resign a claim to the throne" [syn: release] 
7. leave (a job, post, or position) voluntarily; "She vacated the position when she got pregnant"; "The chairman resigned when he was found to have misappropriated funds" [syn: vacate] 
8. relinquish possession or control over; "The squatters had to surrender the building after the police moved in" [syn: surrender] 
9. give up or agree to forgo to the power or possession of another; "The last Taleban fighters finally surrendered" [syn: surrender] [ant: hold out] 
10. stop maintaining or insisting on; of ideas or claims; "He abandoned the thought of asking for her hand in marriage"; "Both sides have to give up some claims in these negotiations" [syn: abandon] 
11. allow the other (baseball) team to score; "give up a run" 
12. stop consuming; "kick a habit"; "give up alcohol" [syn: kick] 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

give up

  1. Surrender, as in The suspect gave himself up. [1100s]

  2. Stop doing or performing something, as in They gave up the search, or She gave up smoking almost thirty years ago. [c. 1600]

  3. Part with, relinquish, as in They gave up their New York apartment, or We gave up all hope of finding the lost tickets. [Mid-1500s]

  4. Lose hope for, as in We had given you up as lost. [Late 1500s]

  5. Admit defeat, as in I give upwhat's the right answer? [c. 1600]

  6. give up on. Abandon, lose one's faith in, as in I gave up on writing a novel, or She gave up on religion years ago. [Colloquial; second half of 1900s] Also see give oneself up to.


The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Investopedia - Cite This Source - Share This

Give Up

A procedure in securities or commodities trading where the executing broker places a trade on behalf of another broker as if he/she actually executed the trade. This is usually done because a broker is too busy to place a trade for a client and asks another broker to place the trade for him/her. On the record books, the trade will not show the executing broker's information, but the broker to whom the client belongs. Thus, the broker of the client and the broker on the other side of the trade will receive the commission, while the executing trader will get nothing. This is a grey area of law governing reimbursement of brokers for services (e.g. research).

Investopedia Commentary

Pay close attention, here's how it works. Broker X gets a buy order from a client but is too busy to place the trade, so he asks Floor Broker Y, who isn't as busy, to place the order for him/her. Broker Y then buys the stock from Broker Z on behalf of Broker X's client. However, although Floor Broker Y places the trade, he must "give up&quot the transaction and record it as if Broker X placed the trade since the client belongs to him/her. Thus, the transaction is recorded as if X &amp Z made the trade, even though Floor Broker Y executed the trade.

Related Links

Brokers and Online Trading

See also: Agent, Broker-Dealer, Dealer, Discount Broker, Front Running, Full Service Broker, Step-out Trading, Two Dollar Broker

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