ENDOWMENT. The bestowing or assuring of a dower to a woman. It is sometimes used: metaphorically, for the setting a provision for a charitable institution, as the endowment of a hospital.

Source: Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
 

Endowment \En*dow"ment\, n.

1. The act of bestowing a dower, fund, or permanent provision for support. [1913 Webster]

2. That which is bestowed or settled on a person or an institution; property, fund, or revenue permanently appropriated to any object; as, the endowment of a church, a hospital, or a college. [1913 Webster]

3. That which is given or bestowed upon the person or mind; gift of nature; accomplishment; natural capacity; talents; -- usually in the plural. [1913 Webster]

His early endowments had fitted him for the work he was to do. --I. Taylor. [1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
 

174 Moby Thesaurus words for "endowment": Altmann theory, DNA, De Vries theory, Galtonian theory, Mendelianism, Mendelism, RNA, TLC, Verworn theory, Weismann theory, Weismannism, Wiesner theory, abilities, ability, accommodation, accordance, accouterment, allele, allelomorph, allotment, allowance, appanage, aptitudes, armament, attributes, award, awarding, bequest, bestowal, bestowment, birth, bread, bump, caliber, capabilities, capability, capacities, capacity, care, catering, chandlery, character, characteristics, chromatid, chromatin, chromosome, communication, concession, conferment, conferral, contribution, daily bread, deliverance, delivery, determinant, determiner, diathesis, donation, dot, dower, dowry, economic support, empowerment, enablement, endowments, equipment, eugenics, factor, faculty, finding, fitting out, flair, forte, foundation, furnishing, furnishment, gene, genesiology, genetic code, genetics, genius, gift, gifting, gifts, giving, grant, granting, hereditability, heredity, heritability, heritage, impartation, impartment, inborn capacity, inheritability, inheritance, instinct, investiture, investment, jointure, keep, legal jointure, liberality, livelihood, living, logistics, long suit, maintenance, makings, manna, marriage portion, matrocliny, meat, metier, mothering, natural endowment, natural gift, nourishment, nurture, offer, outfitting, parts, patrocliny, pharmacogenetics, portion, potential, power, powers, preparation, present, presentation, presentment, price support, procurement, properties, providing, provision, provisioning, purveyance, qualification, recessive character, reinforcement, replenishment, replication, resupply, retailing, selling, settlement, speciality, strengths, strong flair, strong point, subscription, subsidization, subsidy, subsistence, subvention, supply, supplying, support, surrender, sustainment, sustenance, sustentation, talent, talents, tender loving care, the goods, the stuff, thirds, upkeep, victualing, vouchsafement, what it takes

Source: Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
 

endowment

Source: WordNet (r) 2.0
 

Endowment \En*dow"ment\, n.

1. The act of bestowing a dower, fund, or permanent provision for support.

2. That which is bestowed or settled on a person or an institution; property, fund, or revenue permanently appropriated to any object; as, the endowment of a church, a hospital, or a college.

3. That which is given or bestowed upon the person or mind; gift of nature; accomplishment; natural capacity; talents; -- usually in the plural.

His early endowments had fitted him for the work he was to do. --I. Taylor.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)