Give

(57), v. t. [imp. GAVE; p. p. GIVEN; p. pr. & vb. n. GIVING.] [A-S. gifan, Icel. gefa, Sw. gifva, Dan. give, D. geven, O. Sax. gebhan, Goth. giban, O. H. Ger. geban, N. H. Ger. geben.]

1Sense 1. To bestow without receiving a return; to confer without compensation; to impart, as a possession; to grant, as authority or permission; to yield up or allow.

For generous lords had rather give than pay. Young.

2Sense 2. To yield possession of; to deliver over as property, in exchange; to pay; as, we give the value of what we buy.

What shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matt. xvi. 26.

3Sense 3. To communicate or announce, as tidings; to pronounce; to render or utter, as an opinion, a judgment, a sentence, a shout, and the like.

4Sense 4. To grant power or license to; to permit; to allow; to license; to commission.

It is given me once again to behold my friend. Rowe.

Then give thy friend to shed the sacred wine. Pope.

5Sense 5. To exhibit as a product or result; to produce; to show; as, the number of men, divided by the number of ships, gives four hundred to each ship.

6Sense 6. To devote; to apply;—used reflexively, to devote or apply one's self; as, the soldiers give themselves to plunder;—used very frequently in the passive participle; as, the people are given to luxury and pleasure; the youth is given to study.

7Sense 7. To allow or admit by way of supposition.

I give not heaven for lost. Milton.

To give away, to make over to another; to transfer. “Whatsoever we employ in charitable uses during our lives, is given away from ourselves.” Atterbury.—To give back, to return; to restore. Atterbury.—To give chase, to pursue. Totten.—To give ear, to listen.—To give forth, to publish; to tell. Hayward.—To give in. (a.) To allow by way of abatement or deduction from a claim; to yield what may be justly demanded. (b.) To declare; to make known; to announce; to tender; as, to give in one's adhesion to a party.—To give one's self up. (a.) To despair of one's recovery; to conclude to be lost. (b.) To resign or devote. “Let us give ourselves wholly up to Christ in heart and desire.” Bp. Taylor. (c.) To addict; to abandon; as, he gave himself up to intemperance.—To give out. (a.) To utter publicly; to report; to announce. (b.) To send out; to emit; as, a substance gives out steam or odors.—To give over, to yield completely; to leave; to quit; to abandon; as, to give over a pursuit.—To give place, to withdraw; also, to yield pre-eminence, as being subordinate or inferior.—To give the bag, to cheat. [Obs.] “I fear our ears have given us the bag.” J. Webster.—To give the hand, to pledge friendship or faith.—To give up. (a.) To abandon. (b.) To show up; to make public.

I'll not stale them By giving up their characters. Beau. & Fl.

—To give way. (a.) To withdraw; to give place. (b.) To yield to force or pressure; as, the scaffolding gave way; the wheels or axletree gave way. (c.) (Naut.) To begin to row; or to row with increased energy.

Synonyms—To GIVE, CONFER, GRANT. To give is the generic word, embracing all the rest. To confer was originally used of persons in power, who gave permanent grants or privileges; as, to confer the order of knighthood; and hence it still denotes the giving of something which might have been withheld; as, to confer a favor. To grant is to give in answer to a petition or request, or to one who is in some way dependent or inferior.

v. i. 1. To yield to force or pressure; as, the earth gives under the feet.

Only a sweet and virtuous soul, Like seasoned timber, never gives. Herbert.

2Sense 2. To move; to recede.

Now back he gives, then rushes on amain. Daniel.

3Sense 3. To shed tears; to weep. [Obs.]

Whose eyes do never give But thorough lust and laughter. Shak.

4Sense 4. To have a misgiving. [Obs. and rare.]

My mind gives ye’re reserved To rob poor market women. J. Webster.

To give into, to go back; to give way.— To give in to. (a.) To yield assent; to adopt. “This consideration may induce a translator to give in to those general phrases.” Pope. (b.) To acknowledge inferiority; to yield.— To give off, to cease; to forbear. [Obs.] Locke.— To give on or upon. (a.) To rush; to fall upon. [Obs.] (b.) To have a view of; to be in sight of; to overlook; to look toward. [A Gallicism.]

Then stepped a buxom hostess forth, and sailed Full-blown before us into rooms which gave Upon a pillared porch. Tennyson.

It received such light as it got, through a grating of iron bars, fashioned like a pretty large window, by means of which it could always be inspected from the gloomy staircase on which the grating gave. Dickens.

— To give out, to expend all one’s strength; hence, to cease from exertion; to yield.— To give over, to cease; to act no more; to desist. “It would be well for all authors, if they knew when to give over, and to desist from any further pursuits after fame.” Addison.— To give up, to cease from effort; to yield.