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Bestow

//bɪˈstəʊ// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun

1
An act of presenting a thing to someone or something, especially as a gift or an honour; a bestowal. obsolete, rare, transitive
"The Muſes bacely begge, or bibbe, or both, and muſt, for vvhy? / They finde as bad Beſtoe as is their Portage beggerly: / Yea novv by melancholie vvalkes and thred-bare coates vve geſſe / At Clyents and at Poetes: none vvorke more and profit leſſe, […]"

Verb

1
To apply or make use of (someone or something); to employ, to use. transitive
"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."
2
present wordnet
3
To apply or make use of (someone or something); to employ, to use.; To apply (money) for some purpose; to expend, to spend. obsolete, specifically, transitive
"O if I had had time to haue made nevv liueries: I vvoulde haue beſtovved the thouſand pound I borrovved of you, but tis no matter, this poore ſhevv doth better, this doth inferre the zeale I had to ſee him."
4
give as a gift wordnet
5
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. transitive
"I bestow upon you the name of Peter."

Show 6 more definitions

6
bestow a quality on wordnet
7
To place or put (someone or something) somewhere or in a certain situation; to dispose of. archaic, transitive
"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."
8
To deposit (something) for safekeeping; to lay up (something) in store; to stow. archaic, transitive
"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?"
9
To provide (someone or oneself) with accommodation; to find quarters for (someone or oneself); to lodge, to quarter. also, archaic, reflexive, transitive
"The ſixteene daye of May they were al beſtovved abourd in Spaniſh ſhippes furniſhed with victual, & other neceſſaries for that iourney."
10
To behave or conduct (oneself); to acquit. obsolete, reflexive, transitive
"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."
11
To give (someone or oneself) in marriage. also, obsolete, reflexive, transitive
"You ſay, if I bring in your Roſalinde, / You vvill beſtovv her on Orlando heere?"

Etymology

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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