| 释义 |
▪ I. favour, favor, n.|ˈfeɪvə(r)|
Also 4–6 favore, favoure (5–6 fawoure, favowre, 6 favower, faveour), 5–6 favyr, faver, 6 favur, (5 fawer, fayver), 9 dial. favver.
[ME. favor, -our, a. OF. favor, -our (mod.F. faveur) = Pr. and Sp. favor, It. favore:—L. favōre-m, f. favēre to regard with goodwill, side with, show kindness to, protect. As in other words with the same ending, the spelling with -our is preferred in the British Isles, while in the U.S. -or is more common.]
1. a. Propitious or friendly regard, goodwill, esp. on the part of a superior or a multitude. to find favour in the eyes of (orig. a Hebraism): to gain the goodwill of. † Formerly also with a and pl.: A liking, preference. † to have a favour to: to have a liking or regard for.
to curry favour: corruption of to curry favel; see curry v. 5 b, and favel n. 2.
a1340Hampole Psalter xxiv. 3 Þai doe wickidly, to get þaim þe fauour..of þis warld. c1380Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 434, & fals not þe gospel for favor of men. c1400Destr. Troy 5419 The Mirmydouns his men, þat mekill ioy hade, And fayuer of þat fre, þen any folke ellis. 1526Tindale 1 Cor. xvi. 23 The favoure of the lorde Jesus Christ be with you all. 1535Coverdale Ps. xliii[iv]. 3 Thou haddest a fauoure vnto them. [So in 1611.] 1551Robinson tr. More's Utop. i. (Arb.) 56 An other woulde haue the fauoure of the Swychers wonne with money. 1584D. Powel Lloyd's Cambria 94 To procure him the Kings Fauour. 1601Shakes. Twel. N. i. iv. 7 Is he inconstant sir, in his fauours. 1611Bible Esther v. 8, I haue found fauour in the sight of the king. 1641Duke of Hamilton in H. Papers (Camden) 106 Your Maty..of whose..favour I have had so manie..testimonyes. 1700Dryden Theodore & Honoria 19 He..found no favour in his lady's eyes. 1781Gibbon Decl. & F. III. 247 Such assiduous zeal secured the favour of the saint. 1807Crabbe Hall of Just. 74 His favour was my bliss and pride. 1823Scott Quentin D. x, His young Life-guardsman, for whom he seemed to have taken a special favour. 1838Thirlwall Greece V. 309 The oration..opens with a congratulation on the favour of heaven. 1866G. Macdonald Ann. Q. Neighb. xiii. (1878) 271 To create a favour toward each other.
b. Approving disposition towards a thing; inclination to commend, sanction, or adopt.
1827Pollok Course T. ix. 521 The first and highest place In Fancy's favour. 1862H. Marryat Year in Sweden II. 247 St. Brita's onion found..great favour in their sight. 1884tr. Lotze's Metaph. 154 Those who looked with favour on his enterprise.
c. Objectively. (to be, stand high, etc.) in a person's favour: in his good graces. Also in, out of favour, to bring into favour, etc.
1514Barclay Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (Percy Soc.) p. xliii, Thou mayst suspect and trowe Him more in favour and in conceipt then thou. 1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 7 b, Familiar & great in fauour with prynces. 1548[see fall v. 38]. 1568Grafton Chron. II. 293 The king of Navarre..was out of the french kings favour. 1580Baret Alv. F 251 To bring one in fauour with a man, insinuare aliquem alteri. 1676Lady Chaworth in Hist. MSS. Comm. 12th Rep., App. v. 28 She is still highly in favour. 1688Miege Fr. Dict. s.v. Bring, I'll bring you again into his favour. 1701De Foe True-born Eng. 1 Fools out of Favour grudge at Knaves in Place. 1848Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 447 Rochester..stood high in the favour of the King. 1860Adler Fauriel's Prov. Poetry ii. 21 The various kinds of Provençal poetry were not in equal favour among the Castilians. 1876J. H. Newman Hist. Sk. I. i. iv. 216 As slaves, or as captives..they were taken into favour by the dominant nation.
†d. The object of favour; a favourite. Obs.
1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VI. 413 Elfleda favour of citezeynes [L. favor civium] and drede of enemyes. 1667Milton P.L. iii. 664 Man, His chief delight and favour.
†e. The action of favouring; patronage of an object. Obs. rare—1.
1692Temple Ess. Anc. & Mod. Learn. in Misc. ii. (ed. 3) 65 The favour of learning was the humour..of the age.
2. a. Exceptional kindness; gracious or friendly action due to special goodwill, and in excess of what may be ordinarily looked for. † for favour: out of goodwill, freely.
The envelope of a letter sent by hand occasionally bears the words ‘By favour of Mr. ―’ (the friend who conveys the letter).
13..E.E. Allit. P. A. 967 Of þe lombe I haue þe aquylde For a syȝt þer of þurȝ gret fauor. c1460Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. vi, For the ffauour þat we do to the persones þat kepe ham, wich ffauoure þe Scottis do not. 1509Fisher Fun. Serm. C'tess Richmond Wks. (1876) 299 The good deserueth..to haue fauoure shewed vnto them. 1580Baret Alv. F 251 For fauour, gratiosè. 1769Phil. Trans. LIX. 199 note, A crocodile, which I lately saw by the favour of Mr. John Hunter. 1818Scott Hrt. Midl. xxxviii, I have a friend..who will..do me so much favour.
b. An instance of this; something conceded, conferred, or done out of special grace or goodwill; an act of exceptional kindness, as opposed to one of duty or justice. (Now also in ironic colloq. usage.)
1590Shakes. Com. Err. i. i. 23 Doe me the fauour to dilate at full, What haue befalne of them. 1608–11Bp. Hall Medit. & Vows ii. §23 So shal I..accept of small favours with great thankfulnes. 1667Anne Wyndham King's Concealm. (1681) 56 A Gentleman..desired the favour of him, that he would please to step forth. 1714J. Fortescue-Aland Pref. Fortescue's Abs. & Lim. Mon. 39 He had extraordinary Favours shewn him from his Prince. 1780Cowper Table-t. 268 Religion, richest favour of the skies. 1814D. H. O'Brien Captiv. & Escape 13 We were allowed to mix with the officers..as a great favour. 1864Tennyson En. Ard. 284, I came to ask a favour of you. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 309, I wish that you would do me the favour of considering temperance first. 1959[see drop v. 4 c]. 1962N. Marsh Hand in Glove v. 149 ‘Look,’ Leonard drawled, ‘do me a favour and get the hell out of this, will you?’ 1963J. T. Story Something for Nothing i. 20 ‘Shouldn't you get an accountant to sort it out?’ ‘Do me a favour,’ Albert said. ‘It was getting an accountant that got me into all this.’ 1969Guardian 14 May 1/2 Was she hoping to get engaged during the year of the tour? ‘Good God, no, do us a favour.’
c. A complimentary term for: Communication, letter. (Now, at least in England, almost confined to commercial correspondence.) Also explicitly in † the favour of your letter.
c1645Howell Lett. i. iv. viii, Since I was beholden to you for your many Favours in Oxford I have not heard from you. 1679Pepys Let. to Dk. York 9 June, The..excuse of my no earlier owing the favour of your Royal Highness's, by Captain Sanders. 1706Walsh in Pope's Lett. (1735) I. 56 At my return..I receiv'd the favour of your Letter. 1738Franklin Let. 13 Apr. Wks. 1887 I. 476, I have your favors of the 21st of March. 1751T. Sharp in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden) 374 Last post brought me the favour of yours of the 2d instt. 1786T. Jefferson Writ. (1859) II. 3 Your favor of June the 14th is come to hand. 1816Scott Let. to Terry 12 Nov. in Lockhart, I have been shockingly negligent in acknowledging your repeated favours. 1865Marsh in Longfellow's Life (1891) III. 56, I received your favor of April 8.
d. Euphemistically. Formerly also the last favour (= Fr. les dernières faveurs).
1676Wycherley Pl. Dealer v. iii, She..granted you the last favour, (as they call it). 1695Congreve Love for L. iii. xiv, You think it more dangerous to be seen in Conversation with me, than to allow some other Men the last favour. 1824Medwin Convers. Byron (1832) I. 87 One who had bestowed her favours on many.
3. Kind indulgence.
a. Leave, permission, pardon. Chiefly in phrases, by, with (your, etc.) favour; by the favour of. Also, under favour: with all submission, subject to correction. Obs. or arch.
1580Baret Alv. F 255 Sauing your displeasure..or, with your fauour. 1588Shakes. L.L.L. iii. i. 68 By thy fauour..I must sigh in thy face. 1590Swinburne Testaments 287 If the wife..depart from her husband, without his good fauour. 1611B. Jonson Cataline i. i, With fauour, 'twere no losse, if't might be enquir'd What the Condition of these Armes would be. 1613Shakes. Hen. VIII, i. i. 168 Pray giue me fauour Sir. 1622Callis Stat. Sewers (1647) 21 Under the favor of these books. 1662Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. i. i. §20 (ed. 3) 21 By the favour of so learned a man, it seems probable. 1699Bentley Phal. 135 Under favour, I say it's an Anapæst. 1700Dryden Cock & Fox, With your Favour, I will treat it here. 1750G. Jeffreys in Duncombe's Letters (1773) II. 253 Under favour, poetical justice is so far from being ‘a chimera’, that [etc.]. 1823Scott Quentin D. xv, Under favour, my Lord..the youth must find another guide.
†b. ‘Lenity, mildness, mitigation of punishment’ (J.); an instance of this, a lenient act. Obs.
c1460Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. v, To shewrigoure þer as fauour awght to be shewid. c1475Rauf Coilȝear 902 Now faindis to haue fauour with thy fleichingis. 1535Coverdale Josh. xi. 20 And no fauoure to be shewed vnto them. 1596Merch. V. iv. i. 386 Prouided..that for this fauour He presently become a Christian. 1659B. Harris Parival's Iron Age 136 Prisoners..put to ransom, by a singular favour of the Prince of Orange. 1726Swift Gulliver vii, I could not discover the Lenity and Favour of this Sentence. 1780Burke Sp. at Bristol Wks. 1842 I. 267 Who..would construe..doubtful appearances with the utmost favour.
†c. An indulgence, privilege. Obs.
1634Documents agst. Prynne (Camden) 26 Hee should not have the favour to aunswere it in this Courte. 1639tr. Du Bosq's Compl. Woman A ij b, A favour reserved to few, to become witnesses of a vertue so extraordinary. 1646Sir E. Nicholas in N. Papers (Camden) 67 She is proffered the favour..of continuinge a tennant. 1659Pearson Creed (1839) 310 Those..had not the favour of a sepulchre. 1737Whiston Josephus' Hist. iv. v. §3 At length..they had the favour to be slain.
4. Partiality towards a litigant, competitor, etc.; personal sympathies as interfering with justice. challenge to the favour (Law): see challenge n. 3.
1393Gower Conf. III. 179 The Sampnites to him brought A somme of gold and him besought To don hem favour in the lawe. 1413Lydg. Pilgr. Sowle i. xxxii. (1859) 36 Withoute fauour iuge the trouthe. 1482Eng. Gilds (1870) 318 Awe noe fawer more to one than to a nother. 1632Massinger Maid of Hon. v. ii, Not swayed or by favour or affection. a1677Barrow Serm. Wks. 1716 II. 83 Favour..to their own habitual depravations of nature. 1839in Bouvier Law Dict. 447 Nor shall you [the Grand Jury] leave any one unpresented for fear, favour, affection.
5. Aid, support, furtherance, whether proceeding from persons or things. Obs. exc. in phrases (now somewhat rare) by, under (the) favour of.
c1400Destr. Troy 1746 We haue..ffele fryndes and fauer out of fer londys. 1434Misyn Mending of Life 128 Our gostely ee..þat light in it-self as it is..may not se, & ȝitt it felys it þat it is þere, qwhils it haldis with it favyr & heet of þatt light vnknawen. 1523Fitzherb. Husb. §66 At winter he [the calfe] wyll be bygge ynoughe to saue hym selfe amonge other beastes, with a lyttell fauoure. 1580Baret Alv. F 249 He hopeth that by the fauour of some man, he may be holpen in this crime. 1633T. Stafford Pac. Hib. ix. (1821) 116 The Armie..in attempting the Castle, without the favour of the Cannon, must have endured great losse. 1653H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. 10 By the favor of daylight we perceived a great many sails. 1699W. Dampier Voy. II. ii. 46 Under favour of this Supposition, the Privateers marched through the Streets. 1726G. Shelvocke Voy. round World (1757) 319 By the favour of thick weather, and a hard gale of wind, they got clear. c1850Arab. Nts. (Rtldg.) 626 By favour of six good rowers..we arrived at my country house. 1854J. S. C. Abbott Napoleon (1855) II. xxix. 537 He begged permission, under favor of the night, to surprise the Bellerophon.
6. in favour of (= Fr. en faveur de). Used as a prep. in various senses.
a. In defence or support of; on behalf of; on the side of. to be in favour of: to be on the side of, to be disposed to support or advocate.
1556Aurelio & Isab. (1608) I, Hoo well have you spoken in the favoure of the wemen. 1653H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. xlviii. 185 They..resolved to write a letter in favour of us to the old Queen. 1782Priestley Corrupt. Chr. I. i. 97 Thirty six of the bishops present were in favour of it. 1848Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 155 He attempted to interest in his favour those Roman Catholics.
b. To the advantage of. (Rarely, † in favour to.) Also Comm. with reference to a bill, etc.: So as to be payable to.
1556Aurelio & Isab. (1608) G vij, Them that in their owne favour hathe approuved and made the lawes. 1640–1Kirkcudbr. War-Comm. Min. Bk. (1855) 86 Ane act, allegit purchasit in his favores be Mr. John Diksone. 1654tr. Scudery's Curia Pol. 13 When such an accident happeneth, it is usually in favour to those extraordinary persons in whom [etc.]. 1776Trial of Nundocomar 23/2 Bollakey Doss drew a draught on Benares in favor of Lord Clive. 1818Cruise Digest (ed. 2) VI. 58 Trusts, in favour of his wife and children. 1852Sir H. Douglas Milit. Bridges (ed. 3) 377 There remains a balance of strength in favour of the bridge.
†c. In consideration of, for the sake of. Obs.
1605Camden Rem. (1637) 46 One Regilianus..got the Empire there, onely in favour of his name.
d. Out of a preference for.
1893Law Times XCV. 109/2 Builders..have refused land in Middlesex in favour of land in a non-register county.
7. a. (concr. of 1.) Something given as a mark of favour; esp. a gift such as a knot of ribbons, a glove, etc., given to a lover, or in mediæval chivalry by a lady to her knight, to be worn conspicuously as a token of affection.
1588Shakes. L.L.L. v. ii. 130 Hold, Rosaline, this favour thou shalt wear. 1592Greene Groat'sw. Wit (1617) 14 She..returned him a silke Riband for a fauour, tyed with a Truelouers knot. 1594Marlowe & Nashe Dido iii. Wks. (Rtldg.) 261/2 Favours of more sovereign worth Than Thetis hangs about Apollos neck. 1712Spectator No. 436 ⁋6 That custom of wearing a mistress's favour on such occasions [fencing contests] of old. 1842Browning My last Duchess, My favour at her breast. 1864Kirk Chas. Bold I. ii. iii. 508 A time when he should..wear her favors in the tilting-field.
b. A ribbon, cockade, or the like, worn at a ceremony, e.g. a bride's favour, coronation favour, wedding favour, in evidence of goodwill; also, a similar decoration worn as a party-badge.
1599Shakes. Hen. V, iv. vii. 160 Here Fluellen, weare thou this fauour for me, and sticke it in thy Cappe. 1667Pepys Diary 20 Feb., Observing Sir W. Pen's carrying a favour to Sir W. Coventry, for his daughter's wedding. a1693Urquhart Rabelais iii. xxx, I will send you..the Bride's Favour. 1702Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) V. 166 The motto of the coronation favours was, God has sent our hearts content. 1741H. Walpole Corr. (ed. 3) I. ix. 27 The city shops are full of favours. 1771Smollett Humph. Cl. (1815) 254 A bride's favour..he now wore in his cap. 1825C. M. Westmacott Eng. Spy I. 34 Choice of jackets, hats, and favors. 1859Jephson Brittany xi. 183 He wears in his button-hole a favour of blue, green, and white ribbons.
8. That which conciliates affection or goodwill; attractiveness, comeliness, beauty; an attraction, charm. Obs. exc. arch.
c1300K. Alis. 2844 An harpour..made a lay of gret favour. 13..E.E. Allit. P. A. 428 Bot ho hir passed in sum favour. c1430Hymns Virg. (1867) 126 A woman..With fauour in here face far passynge my reson. 1513Douglas æneis xii. vii. 25 Wyth quhais [Japis'] favour vmquhile strangly caucht, This God Appollo glaidly has hym taucht. c1585Faire Em i. 228 Not very fair, but richly deck'd with favour; A sweet face. a1592Greene & Lodge Looking Glasse (1861) 124 Now ope, ye folds, where queen of favour sits. 1611Bible Ecclus. xl. 22 Thine eye desireth fauour and beautie. 1630R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 91 The general contentment, which our English women afford, without sophisticate and adulterate favours. 1847Helps Friends in C. (1854) I. 116 It takes away much of the favour of life.
9. a. Appearance, aspect, look. Now arch. or dial.
c1450Henryson Mor. Fab. 34 The fauour of thy face..is foule and disfigurate. a1529Skelton Poems agst. Garnesche 9 The favyr of your face Is voyd of all grace. 1551Robinson tr. More's Utop. i. (Arb.) 29 A man..whome, by his fauoure and apparell..I iudged to bee a mariner. 1595Shakes. John v. iv. 50, I do loue the fauour..Of this most faire occasion. 1650Fuller Pisgah i. viii. 23 Palestine..tricked and trimmed with many new Cities, had the favour thereof quite altered. 1657W. Rand tr. Gassendi's Life of Peiresk I. A 8 a, It was your pleasure also to learn the favour of his Countenance from his Picture. 1863Mrs. C. Clarke Shaks. Char. viii. 197 He is the ‘counterfeit presentment’ of his sister in external favour.
b. The countenance, face. arch.
1525Ld. Berners Froiss. II. ccxlvii. [ccxliii.] 759 He was lyke kynge Richarde in fauoure. 1581C. T. in Farr. S.P. Eliz. (1845) II. 396 My fauour is harde, My body croukte. 1603Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 861 Courrours were sent out..with certain notes also of the favour of the man. 1676Lond. Gaz. No. 1126/4 He is of low stature, and thin favor. 1691Ray Creation ii. (1704) 439 By their virtuous behaviour compensate the hardness of their Favour. 1822B. Cornwall Poems, Love cured by kindness, I..know Whence comes this noble favour. 1875Tennyson Q. Mary v. ii, What makes thy favour like the bloodless head Fall'n on the block?
†c. A feature. Obs.
1596Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, iii. ii. 136, I will..staine my fauours in a bloody Maske. 1598Drayton Heroic. Ep. iii. 23 In thy Face, one Favour from the rest I singled forth. 1655Digges Compl. Ambass. 343 The Gentleman..is void of any good favour, besides the blemish of the small pocks.
d. Family likeness. Cf. favour v. 8. dial.
Mod. dial. (Staffordshire), I knew her by favour, as soon as I saw her.
10. Comb. † favour-currier = curry-favour; favour-currying ppl. a.: see curry v.; † favour-ribbon, a ribbon worn as a love-token.
1831T. L. Peacock in Examiner 14 Aug., Long floods of favour-currying gabble. 1855Kingsley Westw. Ho! (1889) 13/2 They train the lads up eaves-droppers and favour-curriers. 1762–71H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Paint. (1786) II. 291 Drinking, and dipping their favour-ribbands in the wine.
▪ II. favour, favor, v.|ˈfeɪvə(r)|
Forms: 4 favore, favure, 4–6 faver, 4–7 favoure, (5 favoryn, favir, Sc. fawowr), 9 dial. favver, 5– favour, favor.
[a. OF. favorer, med.L. favōrāre, f. favōr-em: see favour n.]
1. a. trans. To regard with favour, look kindly upon; to be inclined to, have a liking or preference for; to approve.
1340–70Alex. & Dind. 740 Whi fauure ȝe..falce godus? c1400Destr. Troy 13950 When Vlixes..persayuit, þat he to Circes was son..He fauort hym more faithly. 1535Coverdale 2 Macc. xiv. 24 He loued Iudas euer with his hert, and fauoured him. 1580Baret Alv. F 251 Not fauouring learning, not minding, auersus a Musis. 1626Bacon Sylva v. §495 Men fauour Wonders. 1662Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. ii. iv. §4 Josephus seems to favour the division of the City into three parts. 1780Harris Philol. Enq. Wks. (1841) 485 The doctrines they most favoured. 1793Burke Conduct of Minority Wks. 1842 I. 620 That party which Mr. Fox inclined most to favour. 1841Lane Arab. Nts. I. 113 God favour and preserve him. 1873Burton Hist. Scot. V. lx. 285 It was one of the difficulties in the case to find what religion he favoured.
b. In film-making and broadcasting (see quots.).
1960O. Skilbeck Film & T.V. A.B.C. 52 Favour, deliberately to turn the mike or camera to face one artist more than another. 1960D. Davis Gram. Telev. Prod. 60 Favour, to see more of one person's face than that of another person in the same shot. 1970Amateur Photographer 22 Apr. 84/2 Because of its strong directional properties a cardioid microphone will have to follow the actors around and be pointed at them when they speak. This is called ‘favouring’ and must be done gently without transmitting vibrations along the boom pole.
2. a. To show favour to; to treat kindly; to countenance, encourage, patronize; † to indulge (oneself, a feeling).
1362Langl. P. Pl. A. iii. 81 Rynges with Rubyes þe Regratour to fauere. c1380Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 489 Faveriden hem in þese open errouris. c1475Rauf Coilȝear 903 Now haue I ferlie, gif I fauour the ocht. a1533Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) K j b, Yf she be good, he ought to fauer her, that she may be the better. 1549Coverdale Erasm. Par. Rom. vii. 7 This wyse therfore fauoryng my selfe, I was in manner ignoraunt. 1553T. Wilson Rhet. (1580) 78 Man onely..ceaseth not to favour his sorowe. 1568Grafton Chron. II. 22 William..favoured them by giftes and easy lawes. 1611Bible Ps. cii. 13 The time to fauour her..is come. 1655Sir E. Nicholas in N. Papers (Camden) II. 193, I beseech you..fauor me soe much as to hint unto his Maty my misfortune. 1736Butler Anal. ii. vi, If there be a strong bias within..to favour the deceit. 1806Med. Jrnl. XV. 112 If he will ‘favor me’, by perusing my last communication. 1857Whewell Hist. Induct. Sc. I. 210 The former [John the Grammarian] was favoured by Amrou, the conqueror of Egypt. 1870Max Müller Sc. Relig. (1873) 38 No religion..would have favoured the idea.
†b. To indulge with permission (to do something). Obs.
c1400Destr. Troy 5101 A fole to be fauoret folili to speke. 1605Play Stucley in Simpson Sch. Shaks. (1878) I. 160 What her bashfulness Conceals from you, favour me to disclose.
c. To indulge or oblige (a person) with something. I am favoured with: often used as a courteous form of acknowledgement.
c1374Chaucer Boeth. i. i. 4 Fortune..fauored[e] me wiþ lyȝte goodes. 1655–60Stanley Hist. Philos. (1701) 14/2 The manner of his death gave Laertius occasion to favour him with this Epigram. 1717Wodrow Corr. (1843) II. 308, I am favoured with yours of the 10th August. 1793T. Twining in Country Clergym. 18th C. (1882) 185 A lady..was asked to ‘favour us with a song’. 1829Lytton Devereux ii. v, Fielding twice favoured me with visits. 1832H. Martineau Life in Wilds iv. 48 Agriculture has..been favoured with many privileges. 1842A. Combe Physiol. Digestion (ed. 4) p. xxiv, Having..been early favoured with a copy of the original work.
†3. intr. To show favour to, unto. Obs.
1393Gower Conf. II. 77 She to nouther part favoureth. 1548Hall Chron. 98 b, All those that have..favoured unto his said uncle of Winchester.
4. a. trans. To treat with partiality. Also, to side with, take the part of.
c1350Will. Palerne 1171 Heiȝh king of heuene for þi holy name, ne fauore nouȝt so my [fo]. c1425Wyntoun Cron. viii. xxviii, He fawowryd þe Part, Þat langyd Schyr Alysawndyr Mowbray. a1533Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) B iij b, I shall haue many wylle fauoure me in the same. 1580Baret Alv. F 251 He fauoured Cateline. 1635N. R. Camden's Hist. Eliz. Introd., Margaret of Alencon..favoured the Protestan's Religion. a1680Butler Rem. (1759) I. 23 Uncertain which o' th' two to favour. 1734tr. Rollin's Anc. Hist. (1827) I. 170 Antigonus suspecting..that he favoured Cassander. Mod. The examiner was accused of having favoured his own pupils.
b. Comm. In market reports of a commodity: To be at prices favourable to (buyers, sellers).
1890Daily News 8 Jan. 2/6 Oats favour buyers.
5. a. To aid, support; to show oneself propitious to.
1595T. Maynarde Drake's Voy. (Hakluyt Soc.) 23 God favoringe me, they [the Spanish ships] would have bin mine. 1601Marston Pasquil & Kath. i. 258 Fortune fauours fooles. 1783Watson Philip III, ii. (1839) 65 They were secretly favoured by Henry IV. 1793Burke Corr. (1844) IV. 143 If Providence should..favour the allied arms. 1885Manch. Exam. 21 May 6/1 The willingness of the House..to favour its progress.
absol.1393Gower Conf. III. 213 Wel the more God favoureth, Whan he the comun right socoureth. 1435Misyn Fire of Love ii. ii, Criste favirand. 1563B. Googe Eglogs (Arb.) 99 Fortune fauoures not and al thynges backward go. 1697Dryden Eneid i. 522 A Name, While Fortune favour'd, not unknown to Fame. 1878Browning La Saisiaz 27 Had but fortune favored.
b. Of a circumstance, fact, etc.: To lend confirmation or support to (a belief, doctrine, rarely, a person); to point in the direction of.
1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 210 The sentence also of the prophete Osee fauoureth moche (as me semeth) that it sholde be so. 1655Fuller Ch. Hist. i. iv. §9 This relation is favoured by the name of Litchfield. 1659Hammond On Ps. xxvii. 12 The sense favours them there. 1710Steele Tatler No. 209 ⁋1 Every Circumstance..favoured this Suspicion. 1772Junius Lett. lxviii. 337 His opinion..appears to favour you. 1808Med. Jrnl. XIX. 105 Seems to favour the opinion of Mr. Pott. 1884Ld. Selborne in Law Times' Rep. 19 Apr. 229/2 Those cases which favour the doctrine. 1887C. C. Abbott Waste-Land Wand. ii. 22 Every indication favored rain.
6. Of circumstances, weather, etc.: To prove advantageous to (a person); to be the means of promoting (an operation or process); to facilitate.
1634Sir T. Herbert Trav. 12 That night not favouring us, we cast anchor. 1699W. Dampier Voy. II. ii. 29 The Wind favours them. 1709Addison Tatler No. 97 ⁋2 The Silence and Solitude of the Place very much favoured his Meditations. 1710― Whig Exam. No. 4 No one Place about it weaker than another, to favour an Enemy in his Approaches. 1786W. Thomson Philip III, v. (1793) II. 115 The darkness of the night favoured the enterprise. 1833Lyell Princ. Geol. III. 210 The argillaceous stratum..by its yielding nature, favoured the waste and undermining of the..limestone. 1862Ansted & Latham Channel Isl. iii. xvi. (ed. 2) 379 They had been favoured by the wind. 1875Bryce Holy Rom. Emp. i. (ed. 5) 10 The unity of the Empire..had favoured the spread of Christianity.
absol.a1440Found. St. Barthol. 44 Marchauntys of fflaundrys..faueryng the see, purposid to Lundone.
7. To deal gently with; to avoid overtasking (a limb); to ease, save, spare. Now colloq. (esp. in stable parlance) and dial.
1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 263 Fauour thy body. 1589R. Harvey Pl. Perc. (1590) 16 A Preacher..must haue his reader at his elbow, to fauor his voice. 1617Markham Caval. ii. 42 When a horse doth stand but firme vpon..three feete..fauoring the other. 1667Pepys Diary (1877) V. 361 Walking in the dark, in the garden, to favour my eyes. 1711Budgell Spect. No. 150 ⁋12 A thread-bare loose Coat..which..he wore to keep himself warm, and not to favour his under Suit. a1745Swift (Worc.), He [a painter] has favoured her squint admirably. 1792Osbaldistone Brit. Sportsman 228/2 He will set his foot on the ground warily, and endeavour to favor it. 1840Dickens Old C. Shop i, This habit..favours my infirmity. 1837C. M. Goodridge Voy. S. Seas (1843) 55 This [oil-can]..favoured our other cooking apparatus. 1884Upton Gloss., ‘He seems to favour the off foreleg.’
8. To resemble in face or features; rarely, to resemble generally, have the look of. Now colloq.
1609B. Jonson Case is Altered iii. iii, This young lord Chamont Favours my mother. 1690W. Walker Idiomat. Anglo-Lat. 176 He favours you in the face. 1712Steele Spectator No. 398 ⁋1 The Gentleman favoured his Master. 1824L. Murray Eng. Gram. (ed. 5) I. 431 ‘The manager, in countenance, favoured his friend’. It should have been, ‘resembled his friend’. 1866S. Laycock in Harland Lanc. Lyrics 191 Tha favvers thi dad! 1867Waugh Dulesgate 19 ‘Conto make 'em eawt?’ ‘Nawe..but they favour'n Todmorden chaps’. |