What does "endue" mean?
Senses relating to covering or putting on.; Of a person or thing: to take on (a different form); to adopt, to assume.
Endue
/ɪnˈdjuː/ verb
verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Senses relating to covering or putting on.; Of a person or thing: to take on (a different form); to adopt, to assume.
- Grammar: endue is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: endow, invest, accouter, apparel.
- Useful contrasts: deprive, divest, strip.
- Usage evidence: Infinite ſhapes of creatures there [in the Garden of Eden] are bred, / And vncouth formes, vvhich none yet euer knevv, / […] / Some fitt for reaſonable ſovvles t’indew, / Some made for beaſts, ſome made for birds to vveare, […]
How to use "endue"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "endue" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "endue" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "endue" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "endue" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "endue" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "endow" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "endue", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 Senses relating to covering or putting on.; Of a person or thing: to take on (a different form); to adopt, to assume. also, figuratively, transitive
"Infinite ſhapes of creatures there [in the Garden of Eden] are bred, / And vncouth formes, vvhich none yet euer knevv, / […] / Some fitt for reaſonable ſovvles t’indew, / Some made for beaſts, ſome made for birds to vveare, […]"
- 2 give qualities or abilities to wordnet
- 3 Senses relating to covering or putting on.; To put on (a piece of clothing, etc.); to wear; also (followed by with), to clothe (someone) with something. also, archaic, figuratively, literary, transitive
"Indu'd vvith Robes of various Hevv ſhe [Iris] flies, / And flying dravvs an Arch, (a ſegment of the Skies:) / Then leaves her bending Bovv, and from the ſteep / Deſcends to ſearch the ſilent Houſe of Sleep."
- 4 Senses relating to covering or putting on.; To put (something) on top of a thing; to cover, to overlay. obsolete, rare, transitive
"[The altar in St. Peter's Basilica] of St. Veronica made by Fra[ncesco] Mochi, has over it in the Reliquary, where they shew'd us the miraculous Sudarium indued wᵗʰ the picture of oʳ Saviour [Jesus]'s face, […]"
- 5 Senses relating to giving some quality or thing.; Followed by with: to invest (someone or something) with a certain power, quality, etc. literary, transitive
"[L]earning endueth mens mindes vvith a true ſence of the frailtie of their perſons, the caſualtie of their fortunes, and the dignitie of their ſoule and vocation; […]"
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 Senses relating to giving some quality or thing.; Of a quality, etc.: to be inherent in (something). obsolete, transitive
"Perhaps my ſemblance might deceive the truth, / That I to manhood am arriv'd ſo near, / And invvard ripenes doth much leſs appear / That ſom more timely-happy ſpirits indu'th."
- 7 Senses relating to giving some quality or thing.; To supply (someone) with a thing. obsolete, transitive
"Some reaſons of this double Coronation / I haue poſſeſt you vvithm, and thinke them ſtrong, / And more, more ſtrong, then leſſer is my feare / I ſhall indue you vvith: […]"
- 8 Senses relating to giving some quality or thing.; Synonym of endow (“to invest (a person, group of people, or institution) with property”). obsolete, transitive
"[H]e [Henry V] would be content to take in mariage the Lady Katheryn [Catherine of Valois] daughter vnto the French king [Charles VI of France], and to endue her with all the Duchye and countryes before reherſed."
- 9 Senses relating to giving some quality or thing.; Synonym of bestow (“to impart (something) gratuitously; to grant”). obsolete, rare, transitive
- 10 Senses relating to directing or leading.; To raise or rear (someone); to bring up; also, to educate or instruct (someone). obsolete, transitive
- 11 Senses relating to directing or leading.; To bring (something) to a certain condition. obsolete, rare, transitive
"[L]et our finger ake, / And it endues our other healthfull members, / Euen to that ſence of paine; […]"
- 12 Senses relating to taking in.; Of a hawk: originally, to pass (food in the crop or gizzard) into the stomach; later, to digest (food). obsolete, transitive
"Your gorge not endewed / Without a capon stewed"
- 13 Senses relating to taking in.; Of a person or animal: to digest (food). broadly, obsolete, transitive
"Her mete was very crude, / She had not wel endude; […]"
- 14 Senses relating to taking in.; To take on; to absorb. figuratively, obsolete, transitive
"He did her ſeruice devvtifull, and ſevvd / At hand vvith humble pride, and pleaſing guile, / So cloſely yet, that none but ſhe it vevved, / VVho vvell perceiued all, and all indevvd."
- 15 Senses relating to taking in.; Of food: to be digested. intransitive, obsolete, rare
Example
"Infinite ſhapes of creatures there [in the Garden of Eden] are bred, / And vncouth formes, vvhich none yet euer knevv, / […] / Some fitt for reaſonable ſovvles t’indew, / Some made for beaſts, ſome made for birds to vveare, […]"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "endue"?
Common synonyms include: endow, invest, accouter, apparel, arm, array.
How do you use "endue" in a sentence?
Infinite ſhapes of creatures there [in the Garden of Eden] are bred, / And vncouth formes, vvhich none yet euer knevv, / […] / Some fitt for reaſonable ſovvles t’indew, / Some made for beaſts, ſome made for birds to vveare, […]
How do you pronounce "endue"?
Pronounced /ɪnˈdjuː/.
Etymology
From both of the following: * Chiefly sense 1: Late Middle English induen (“to clothe (someone); to assume or take on (an appearance)”), from Latin induere, the present active infinitive of induō (“to put on (clothes, etc.); to assume (a part)”), from indu- (an archaic variant of in- (prefix meaning ‘in; within’)) + *uō (“to put on (clothes, etc.)”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ew- (“to put clothes or shoes on”)). * Chiefly sense 3 and sense 4: Late Middle English endeuen, enduen (“to endow; to induct or put (someone into office, etc.); (falconry) of a hawk: to pass food from the crop or gorge into the stomach”), from Old French enduire, induire (modern French enduire), from Latin indūcere, the present active infinitive of indūcō (“to bring or lead in; (by extension) to draw over, cover; (figurative) to bring into, establish, initiate; etc.”), from in- (see above) + dūcō (“to draw, pull; to guide, lead; etc.”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to draw, pull; to lead”)). Sense 2 is from a combination of the above. Doublet of induce.