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bestow

verb
/bɪˈstəʊ/UK/bɪˈstoʊ/US/bɪˈsto/

Etymology

PIE word *h₁epi The verb is derived from Middle English bestowen, bistouen, bistowen (“to give, bestow; to apply (something to something else); to arrange or have control over (something); to place (someone) in a position; to use (for some purpose); (reflexive) to find (oneself) a place to live or shelter”) [and other forms], from bi- (prefix forming verbs, often with a completive, figurative, or intensive meaning) + stouen, stowen (“to pack (cargo) in a ship, stow; to place (someone) in a certain position; to provide quarters for, lodge; etc.”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to place; to stand (up)”)). The English word is analysable as be- (intensifying prefix forming verbs) + stow (“to put (something) away in a suitable place; etc.”). The noun is derived from the verb.

  1. derived from *steh₂-✻ — “to place; to stand (up)”
  2. inherited from bestowen

Definitions

  1. To apply or make use of (someone or something)

    To apply or make use of (someone or something); to employ, to use.

    • All the voide time, that is betwene the huores of woorke ſlepe and meat, that they be ſuffered to beſtowe, euerye man as he lyketh beſte hym ſelfe.
    • [S]ince the voyce / Of moſt ſupreme Authority commands / My abſence: I determine to beſtovv / Some time in learning Languages abroad; […]

  2. To impart (something) gratuitously

    To impart (something) gratuitously; to present (something) to someone or something, especially as a gift or an honour; to confer, to give, to accord; to render.

    • I bestow upon you the name of Peter.
    • Medals were bestowed on the winning team.
    • For yͤ vngodly Athalia & hir ſonnes haue waiſted the houſe of God: and all that was halowed for the houſe of the LORDE, haue they beſtowed on Baalim.

  3. To place or put (someone or something) somewhere or in a certain situation

    To place or put (someone or something) somewhere or in a certain situation; to dispose of.

    • The diuell take the one partie, / And his dam the other, / And theyle be both beſtovved. / I haue endured more for their ſakes, / Then man is able to endure.
    • Moreover I haue […] beſtovved the chiefe grounds, Principles, Rules, and Obſeruations [of heraldry] vnder their proper heads, and manifeſted their vſe by examples of ſpeciall choice, […]
    • Here are blank warrants of all dispositions; give me but the name and nature of your malefactor, and I'll bestow him according to his merits.
  4. ›+ 5 more definitions

    1. To deposit (something) for safekeeping

      To deposit (something) for safekeeping; to lay up (something) in store; to stow.

      • The londes of a certayne man brought forth frutes plenteouſly⸝ and he thought in hym ſilfe ſayinge: whatt ſhall I do⸝ becauſe I have noo roume where to beſtowe my frutes?
      • Novv as I am a Chriſtian anſvver me, / In vvhat ſafe place you haue beſtovv'd my monie; / Or I ſhall breake that merrie ſconce of yours / That ſtands on tricks, vvhen I am vndiſpos'd: / VVhere is the thouſand Markes thou hadſt of me?

    2. To provide (someone or oneself) with accommodation

      To provide (someone or oneself) with accommodation; to find quarters for (someone or oneself); to lodge, to quarter.

      • The ſixteene daye of May they were al beſtovved abourd in Spaniſh ſhippes furniſhed with victual, & other neceſſaries for that iourney.
      • […] I heare / Macduffe liues in diſgrace. Sir, can you tell / VVhere he beſtovves himſelfe?
      • VVell my Maſters, I'le leaue him with you; novv I ſee him beſtovv'd, I'le goe looke for my goods, and Numps.

    3. To behave or conduct (oneself)

      To behave or conduct (oneself); to acquit.

      • Novv therefore vvould I haue thee to my Tutor / (For long agone I haue forgot to court, / Beſides the faſhion of the time is chang'd) / Hovv, and vvhich vvay I may beſtovv my ſelfe / To be regarded in her ſun-bright eye.
      • Hovv might vve ſee Falſtaffe beſtovv himſelf to night in his true colours, and not our ſelues be ſeene?
      • He all aſſayls, and him ſo braue beſtovves, / That in his Fight he deals more deaths than blovves.

    4. To give (someone or oneself) in marriage.

      • You ſay, if I bring in your Roſalinde, / You vvill beſtovv her on Orlando heere?
      • I could have bestowed her upon a fine gentleman, who extremely admired her wit, and would have given her a coach and six: […]

    5. An act of presenting a thing to someone or something, especially as a gift or an honour

      An act of presenting a thing to someone or something, especially as a gift or an honour; a bestowal.

The neighborhood

Derived

bestowable, bestowage, bestowal, bestowed, bestower, bestowing, bestowment, misbestow, rebestow, unbestowed

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at bestow. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01bestow02honour03canadian04belonging05feeling06evincing07evince08show

A definitional loop anchored at bestow. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

8 hops · closes at bestow

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA