Pronunciation Verb
endow (endows, present participle endowing; past and past participle endowed)
- (transitive, archaic or obsolete) To provide with a dower or a dowry.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Exodus 22:16–17 ↗, column 1:
- And if a man entice a maide that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he ſhall ſurely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuſe to giue her vnto him, he ſhall pay money according to the dowrie of virgins.
- 1628, Edw[ard] Coke, “Dower”, in The First Part of the Institvtes of the Lawes of England. […], London: Printed [by Adam Islip] for the Societe of Stationers, OCLC 84760833 ↗, book I, chapter 47, page 38:
- Also if a man ſeiſed in Fee Simple beeing within age endoweth his wife at the Monaſterie or Church doore, and dieth, and his wife enter, in this caſe the heire of the huſband may out her. But otherwiſe it is, (as it ſeemeth) where the father is ſeiſed in fee, and the ſonne within age endoweth his wife ex aſſenſu patris, the Father being then of full age.
- 1766, William Blackstone, “Of Freeholds, Not of Inheritance”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book II (Of the Rights of Things), Oxford: Printed at the Clarendon Press, OCLC 65350522 ↗, page 130 ↗:
- [T]he reaſon, which our law gives for adopting it [i.e., dower], is a very plain and a ſenſible one; for the ſuſtenance of the wife, and the nurture and education of the younger children. [...] 1. Who may be endowed. She muſt be the actual wife of the party at the time of the deceaſe. If ſhe be divorced a vinculo matrimonii, ſhe ſhall not be endowed; [...]
- (transitive) To give property to (someone) as a gift#Noun|gift; specifically, to provide (a person or institution) with support#Verb|support in the form of a permanent fund#Noun|fund of money or other benefit#Noun|benefits.
- 1623, Iohn Speed [i.e., John Speed], “Iohn, Dvke of Normandie, Gvyen, and Avqitaine, &c. […]”, in The Historie of Great Britaine vnder the Conqvests of the Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans. […], 2nd revised and enlarged edition, London: Printed by Iohn Beale, for George Hvmble, […], OCLC 150671135 ↗, book 9, paragraph 63, page 588 ↗, column 1:
- His [{{w
- 1841 February–November, Charles Dickens, “Barnaby Rudge”, in Master Humphrey’s Clock, volume III, London: Chapman & Hall, […], OCLC 633494058 ↗, chapter 20, page 46 ↗:
- Finding her quite incorrigible in this respect, Emma suffered her to depart; but not before she had confided to her that important and never-sufficiently-to-be-taken-care-of answer, and endowed her moreover with a pretty little bracelet as a keepsake.
- (transitive) Followed by with, or rarely by of: to enrich or furnish with some faculty or quality#Noun|quality.
- Synonyms: begift
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Qveene. […], London: Printed [by John Wolfe] for VVilliam Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938 ↗, book II, canto III, stanza 25, page 225 ↗:
- Vpon her eyelids many Graces ſate, / Vnder the ſhadow of her euen browes, / VVorking belgardes [beautiful looks], and amorous retrate [portrait], / And euerie one her with a grace endowes: [...]
- 1818, [Mary Shelley], chapter VII, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. In Three Volumes, volume III, London: Printed [by Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, OCLC 830979744 ↗, [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=emu.010001278703;view=1up;seq=181 page 173]:
- I am weak; but surely the spirits who assist my vengeance will endow me with sufficient strength.
- 1860, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “A Walk on the Campagna”, in The Marble Faun: Or, The Romance of Monte Beni. [...] In Two Volumes, volume II, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, OCLC 459816658 ↗, page 237 ↗:
- [T]he sculptor lifted it [a round block of stone], turned it hither and thither in his hands, brushed off the clinging soil, and finally placed it on the slender neck of the newly discovered statue. The effect was magical. It immediately lighted up and vivified the whole figure, endowing it with personality, soul, and intelligence.
- (transitive) Usually in the glossary passive: to naturally furnish (with something).
- Synonyms: bless, gift
- She was endowed with a beautiful voice.
- 1859 November 23, Charles Darwin, “Recapitulation and Conclusion”, in On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, […], London: John Murray, […], OCLC 1029641431 ↗, page 482 ↗:
- A few naturalists, endowed with much flexibility of mind, and who have already begun to doubt on the immutability of species, may be influenced by this volume; but I look with confidence to the future, to young and rising naturalists, who will be able to view both sides of the question with impartiality.
Conjugation of endow
| infinitive | (to) endow | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| present tense | past tense | ||
| 1st-person singular | endow | endowed | |
| 2nd-person singular | * endow, endowest* | endowed, endowedst* | |
| 3rd-person singular | endows, endoweth#English|endoweth* | endowed#English|endowed | |
| plural | endow | ||
| subjunctive | endow | ||
| imperative | endow | — | |
| participle> participles | endowing | endowed | |
| * Archaic or obsolete. | |||
- French: doter
- German: ausstatten
- Italian: dotare, finanziare, foraggiare, provvedere, sovvenzionare
- Portuguese: custear, financiar
- Russian: обеспе́чивать
- Spanish: dotar
- French: doter, enrichir
- Italian: arricchire, dotare, garantire
- Portuguese: dotar
- Russian: одаривать
- Spanish: dotar
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