Fa"vor (?), n. [Written also
favour.] [OF. favor, F. faveur, L. favor,
fr. favere to be favorable, cf. Skr. bhāvaya to
further, foster, causative of bhū 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.
Fa"vor, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Favored (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Favoring.] [Written also favour.] [Cf. OF.
favorer, favorir. See Favor,
n.] 1. To regard with
kindness; to support; to aid, or to have the disposition to aid, or
to wish success to; to be propitious to; to countenance; to treat
with consideration or tenderness; to show partiality or unfair bias
towards.
O happy youth! and favored of the
skies.
Pope.
He that favoreth Joab, . . . let him go after
Joab.
2 Sam. xx. 11.
[The painter] has favored her squint
admirably.
Swift.
2. To afford advantages for success to; to
facilitate; as, a weak place favored the entrance of the
enemy.
3. To resemble in features; to have the
aspect or looks of; as, the child favors his father.
The porter owned that the gentleman favored his
master.
Spectator.
