Syn. — 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.
GIVE
Give, v. i.
1. To give a gift or gifts.
2. To yield to force or pressure; to relax; to become less rigid; as, the earth gives under the feet.
3. To become soft or moist. [Obs.] Bacon .
4. To move; to recede. Now back he gives, then rushes on amain. Daniel.
5. To shed tears; to weep. [Obs.] Whose eyes do never give But through lust and laughter. Shak.
6. To have a misgiving. [Obs.] My mind gives ye're reserved To rob poor market women. J. Webster.
7. To open; to lead. [A Gallicism] This, yielding, gave into a grassy walk. Tennyson. To give back, to recede; to retire; to retreat. They gave back and came no farther. Bunyan. — To give in, to yield; to succumb; to acknowledge one's self beaten; to cease opposition. The Scots battalion was enforced to give in. Hayward. This consideration may induce a translator to give in to those general phrases. Pope. — 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; to open upon; to front; to face. [A Gallicism: cf. Fr. donner sur.] Rooms which gave upon a pillared porch. Tennyson. The gloomy staircase on which the grating gave. Dickens. — To give out. (a) To expend all one's strength. Hence: (b) To cease from exertion; to fail; to be exhausted; as, my feet being to give out; the flour has given out. — To give over, to cease; to discontinue; 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; to despair; as, he would never give up.
GIVEN
Giv"en,