Favor \Fa"vor\, n. [Written also favour.]
[OF. favor, F. faveur,
L. favor, fr. favere to be favorable, cf. Skr. bh[=a]vaya to
further, foster, causative of bh[=u] to become, be. Cf. Be.
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 favor 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) Partiality; bias. --Bouvier.
9. A letter or epistle; -- so called in civility or
compliment; as, your favor of yesterday is received.
10. pl. Love locks. [Obs.]
--Wright.
Challenge to the favor or for favor (Law), the challenge
of a juror on grounds not sufficient to constitute a
principal challenge, but sufficient to give rise to a
probable suspicion of favor or bias, such as acquaintance,
business relation, etc. See Principal challenge, under
Challenge.
In favor of, upon the side of; favorable to; for the
advantage of.
In favor with, favored, countenanced, or encouraged by.
To curry favor [see the etymology of Favor, above], to
seek to gain favor by flattery, caresses, kindness, or
officious civilities.
With one's favor, or By one's favor, with leave; by kind
permission.
But, with your favor, I will treat it here.
--Dryden.
Syn: Kindness; countenance; patronage; support; lenity;
grace; gift; present; benefit.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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