FAVOR Fa"vor, n. Etym: [Written also favour.] Etym: [OF. favor, F. faveur, L. favor, fr. favere to be favorable, cf. Skr. bhavaya to further, foster, causative of bhBe. 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 fabor 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)
Defn: Partiality; bias. Bouvier.