Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Favor?

\Fa"vor\, n. [Written also favour.] [OF. favor, F. faveur, L. favor, fr. favere to be favorable, cf. Skr. bh[=a]vaya to further, foster, causative of bh[=u] to become, be. Cf. {Be}. In the phrase to curry favor, favor is prob. for favel a horse. See 2d {Favel}.] 1. Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly disposition; kindness; good will. Hath crawled into the favor of the king. --Shak. 2. The act of countenancing, or the condition of being countenanced, or regarded propitiously; support; promotion; befriending. But found no favor in his lady's eyes. --Dryden. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. --Luke ii. 52. 3. A kind act or office; kindness done or granted; benevolence shown by word or deed; an act of grace or good will, as distinct from justice or remuneration. Beg one favor at thy gracious hand. --Shak. 4. Mildness or mitigation of punishment; lenity. I could not discover the lenity and favor of this sentence. --Swift. 5. The object of regard; person or thing favored. All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man, His chief delight and favor. --Milton. 6. A gift or represent; something bestowed as an evidence of good will; a token of love; a knot of ribbons; something worn as a token of affection; as, a marriage favor is a bunch or knot of white ribbons or white flowers worn at a wedding. Wear thou this favor for me, and stick it in thy cap. --Shak. 7. Appearance; look; countenance; face. [Obs.] This boy is fair, of female favor. --Shak. 8. (Law) Partiality; bias. --Bouvier. 9. A letter or epistle; -- so called in civility or compliment; as, your favor of yesterday is received. 10. pl. Love locks. [Obs.] --Wright. {Challenge} {to the favor or for favor} (Law), the challenge of a juror on grounds not sufficient to constitute a principal challenge, but sufficient to give rise to a probable suspicion of favor or bias, such as acquaintance, business relation, etc. See {Principal challenge}, under {Challenge}. {In favor of}, upon the side of; favorable to; for the advantage of. {In favor with}, favored, countenanced, or encouraged by. {To curry favor} [see the etymology of {Favor}, above], to seek to gain favor by flattery, caresses, kindness, or officious civilities. {With one's favor}, or {By one's favor}, with leave; by kind permission. But, with your favor, I will treat it here. --Dryden. Syn: Kindness; countenance; patronage; support; lenity; grace; gift; present; benefit.
\Fa"vor\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Favored}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Favoring}.] [Written also favour.] [Cf. OF. favorer, favorir. See {Favor}, n.] 1. To regard with kindness; to support; to aid, or to have the disposition to aid, or to wish success to; to be propitious to; to countenance; to treat with consideration or tenderness; to show partiality or unfair bias towards. O happy youth! and favored of the skies. --Pope. He that favoreth Joab, . . . let him go after Joab. --2 Sam. xx. 11. [The painter] has favored her squint admirably. --Swift. 2. To afford advantages for success to; to facilitate; as, a weak place favored the entrance of the enemy. 3. To resemble in features; to have the aspect or looks of; as, the child favors his father. The porter owned that the gentleman favored his master. --Spectator.