give

[[t]gɪv[/t]]

v. gave, giv•en, giv•ing, n.

1) to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation:

to give a birthday present to someone[/ex]

2) to hand to someone:

Give me that plate, please[/ex]

3) to place in someone's care:

I gave the folders to your assistant[/ex]

4) to grant (permission, opportunity, etc.) to someone:

Give me a chance[/ex]

5) to impart or communicate:

to give advice; to give a cold to someone[/ex]

6) to set forth or show; present; offer:

to give no reason for one's actions[/ex]

7) to pay or transfer possession to another in exchange for something:

They gave five dollars for the picture[/ex]

8) to furnish, provide, or proffer:

to give evidence[/ex]

9) to provide as an entertainment or social function:

to give a Halloween party[/ex]

10) to administer:

to give medicine to a patient[/ex]

11) to put forth, emit, or utter; issue:

to give a cry[/ex]

12) to assign or admit as a basis of calculation or reasoning (usu. used passively):

These facts being given, the theory makes sense[/ex]

13) to produce, yield, or afford:

to give good results[/ex]

14) to make, do, or perform:

to give a lurch[/ex]

15) to perform or present publicly:

to give a concert[/ex]

16) to cause; be responsible for (usu. fol. by an infinitive):

They gave me to understand that you would be there[/ex]

17) to care about something to the value or extent of (something signifying “even a little bit”):

I don't give a hoot about their opinion. Frankly, I don't give a damn![/ex]

18) to relinquish or sacrifice:

to give one's life for a cause[/ex]

19) to convey or transmit:

Give Grandma my love[/ex]

20) to assign or allot:

They gave him the nickname “Scooter.”[/ex]

21) to bestow (the object of one's choice), as if by providence:

Give me the wide open spaces anytime[/ex]

22) to connect, as through a switchboard:

Give me 235-7522[/ex]

23) to present to an audience:

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the governor of Texas[/ex]

24) to attribute or ascribe:

to give the devil his due[/ex]

25) to cause:

Strawberries give me a rash[/ex]

26) to apply fully or freely; devote:

to give one's attention to a problem[/ex]

27) to award by verdict or after consideration:

A decision was given for the defendant[/ex]

28) to inflict as a punishment on another; impose a sentence of:

The judge gave him ten years[/ex]

29) to pledge, offer as a pledge, or execute and deliver:

She gave him her word[/ex]

30) to propose as the subject of a toast (fol. by an indirect object):

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our country[/ex]

31) to bear to a man; deliver (fol. by an indirect object):

She gave him a beautiful baby boy[/ex]

32) to sire upon a woman; father (fol. by an indirect object):

He gave her two children in four years[/ex]

33) to concede or grant, as a point in an argument

34) to make a gift or gifts; contribute:

to give to the United Way[/ex]

35) to yield somewhat, as to influence or force; compromise:

Each side must give on some points[/ex]

36) to yield somewhat when subjected to weight, force, pressure, etc.:

A horsehair mattress doesn't give much[/ex]

37) to collapse; break down; fall apart:

The old chair gave when I sat on it[/ex]

38) to be warm and open in relationships with others:

a withdrawn person who doesn't know how to give[/ex]

39) inf Informal. to divulge information:

Okay now, give! What happened?[/ex]

40) to afford a view or passage; face, open, or lead (usu. fol. by on, onto, etc.):

This door gives onto the hallway[/ex]

41) phv give away

a) to give as a present; bestow

b) to present (the bride) to the bridegroom in a marriage ceremony

c) phv to disclose, betray, or expose

42) phv give back, to return (something), as to the owner; restore

43) phv give in

a) to acknowledge defeat; yield

b) to hand in; deliver:

to give in one's timecard[/ex]

44) phv give of, to devote or contribute generously of:

to give of oneself[/ex]

45) phv give off, to put forth; emit:

The gardenia gives off a strong fragrance[/ex]

46) phv give out

a) to send out; emit

b) to make public; announce

c) to distribute; issue

d) phv to become exhausted or used up

47) phv give over

a) to put into the care or custody of; transfer

b) to submit fully:

She gave herself over to tears[/ex]

c) to devote to a specified activity:

The day was given over to relaxing[/ex]

d) to cease; stop:

to give over complaining[/ex]

48) phv give up

a) to abandon hope; despair

b) to desist from; renounce:

to give up smoking[/ex]

c) phv to surrender; relinquish

d) phv to devote (oneself) entirely to

49) the quality or state of being resilient; springiness

•

- give it to give or take

Etymology: bef. 900; ME given (with g- < Scand; cf. early Dan give), yiven, yeven, OE gefan, giefan, c. OOHG geban, Go giban giv′er, n. syn: give, confer, grant, present mean that something concrete or abstract is bestowed on one person by another. give is the general word: to give someone a book. confer usu. means to give as an honor or as a favor; it implies courteous and gracious giving: to confer a medal. grant is usu. limited to the idea of acceding to a request or fulfilling an expressed wish; it often involves a formal act or legal procedure: to grant a prayer; to grant immunity. present, a more formal word than give, usu. implies a certain ceremony in the giving: to present an award.