▪ I. bestow, v.
(bɪˈstəʊ)
Forms: 4–6 bistow(e, 5 bystow(e, 5–7 bestowe, (6 bestoe), 5– bestow. pa. pple. bestowed, (7 bestowne).
[ME. bistowen, f. bi-, be- 2 + stowen to place, stow.]
1. trans. To place, locate; to put in a position or situation, dispose of (in some place). arch.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus i. 967 The god of love hath the bystowid In place digne unto thy worthines. 1528 More Conf. agst. Trib. iii. Wks. 228/1 As rowmes and liuinges fal voyde to bestowe them in. 1567 Drury Let. in Tytler Hist. Scot. (1864) III. 412 Bills bestowed upon the church doors. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. iv. ii. 48 How should I bestow him? Shall I put him into the basket againe? 1610 J. Guillim Heraldry iii. i. (1660) 96 Under what heads each peculiar thing must be bestowed. 1713 Pope Iliad ix. 284 Glittering canisters..Which round the board Menœtius' son bestow'd. 1873 Browning Red Cotton Night-Cap Country 116 The white domestic pigeon..does mere duty by bestowing egg In authorized compartment. |
2. To stow away; to place or deposit (anywhere) for storage, to store up. arch.
| 1393 Gower Conf. II. 84 The leed after Satorne groweth, And Jupiter the brass bestoweth. 1494 Fabyan vii. 466 Lancastre..bestowed suche ordenaunce as the Frenshemen for haste lafte behynde. 1526 Tindale Luke xii. 17, I have noo roume where to bestowe my frutes. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. i. ii. 78 1630 J. Taylor Gt. Eater Kent 13 His store-house, into which he would stow and bestow any thing that the house would afford. 1853 Kane Grinnell Exp. xxix. (1856) 247 Bestowing away my boots in a snugly-lashed bundle. |
3. To lodge, quarter, put up; to provide with a resting- or sleeping-place. Also refl. arch.
| 1577 Holinshed Chron. III. 813 They were all bestowed aboord in Spanish ships. 1605 Shakes. Macb. iii. vi. 23 Sir, can you tell, Where he bestowes himselfe? 1665 Manley Grotius' Low-C. Wars 295 To bestow the wearied men into Garrisons. 1821 Byron Sardan. iii. i. 121 See that the women are bestow'd in safety In the remote apartments. 1851 Longfellow Gold. Leg. iv. iv, Shall the Refectorarius bestow Your horses and attendants for the night. |
† b. To bring to bed, confine. Obs. rare.
| c 1320 Sir Beves (Halliw.) 132 And Iosiane, Christ here be milde! In a wode was bestoude of childe. |
† 4. To settle or give in marriage. Also refl. Obs.
| c 1386 Chaucer Reeve's T. 61 To bystow hir hye Into som worthy blood of ancetrye. 1530 Palsgr. 452/1 He hath bestowed his doughter well. c 1550 Cheke Matt. xxiv. 38 Eating and drinking, marijng, and bestowing yeer childern. 1600 Shakes. A.Y.L. v. iv. 7 You will bestow her on Orlando heere. c 1670 Mrs. Hutchinson Mem. Col. Hutchinson (1806) 9 Only three daughters who bestowed themselves meanly. 1714 T. Ellwood Autobiog. (1765) 100 He bestowed both his Daughters there in Marriage. |
5. To apply, to employ (in an occupation); to devote (to, of obs.) for a specific purpose.
| c 1315 Shoreham 95 Thenche thou most wel bysyly, And thy wyȝt thran by-stowe. c 1386 Chaucer Wife's Prol. 113, I wol bystowe the flour of myn age In the actes and in the fruytes of mariage. 1530 Palsgr. Introd. 2 Many..shall also herafter bestowe theyr tyme in such lyke exercise. 1541 R. Copland Guydon's Quest. Cyrurg., Howe to bestowe his remedyes to the body of man. 1580 Baret Alv. B 580 Thou haste well bestowed thy paynes. 1653 Walton Angler i. 39 Bestow one day with me and my friends in hunting the Otter. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. vi. 279 These..onely bestowed themselves in prayer. 1851 Dixon W. Penn xv. (1872) 125 How he intended to bestow his day. |
† b. esp. To apply money to a particular purpose; to lay out, expend, spend. Obs.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. ii. 75 In þe stories he techeth To bistowe þyn almes. 1526 Tindale 2 Cor. xii. 15, I will very gladly bestowe, and wilbe bestowed for youre soules. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. 56 But nowe it is a small matter to bestowe..a hundred pounde of one payre of Breeches. (God be mercifull unto us!) 1590 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV v. v. 11, I would haue bestowed the thousand pound I borrowed of you. 1611 Bible Deut. xiv. 26 Thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoeuer thy soule lusteth after. 1631 Weever Anc. Fun. Mon. 225 He bestowed much in building. |
† c. refl. To acquit oneself. Obs.
| 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. iii. i. 87. 1600 ― A.Y.L. iv. iii. 87 The boy is faire, Of femall fauour, and bestowes himselfe Like a ripe sister. 1606 Sylvester Du Bartas (1633) 320 He all assayls and him so brave bestowes, in his Fight, etc. |
6. trans. (and absol.). To confer as a gift, present, give.
| 1580 Baret Alv. B 580 To bestowe and giue his life for his country. 1583 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 45 Thee Greeks bestowing theyre presents Greekish I feare mee. 1613 Shakes. Hen. VIII, iv. ii. 56 In bestowing, madam, He was most princely. 1632 Brome Novella ii. i, To brag of benefits one hath bestowne Doth make the best seeme lesse. 1750 Johnson Rambl. No. 38 ¶11 You here pray for water, and water I will bestow. 1802 M. Edgeworth Moral T. I. i. 7 The importance that wealth can bestow. 1870 Bryant Iliad I. iii. 83 Whatever in their grace the gods bestow. |
b. Const. on, upon (of obs.) a person.
| 1535 Coverdale 2 Chron. xxiv. 7 All that was halowed for the house of the Lorde, haue they bestowed on Baalim. 1601 Shakes. Twel. N. iii. iv. 2 How shall I feast him? What bestow of him? 1628 Wither Brit. Rememb. Pref. 112 What freedomes on the Muses are bestowne. 1817 Jas. Mill Brit. India II. iv. v. 205 The steadiness..of the English..bestowed upon them a complete and brilliant victory. 1876 Green Short Hist. vi. §4 (1882) 301 He bestowed on him a pension of a hundred crowns a year. |
† c. (rarely) to or dat. pron. (Cf. 1541 in 5.)
| 1588 Shakes. Tit. A. iv. ii. 163 You must needs bestow her funerall. 1605 ― Lear ii. i. 128 Bestow Your needfull counsaile to our businesses. |
▪ II. † beˈstow, n. Obs. rare.
[f. prec. vb.]
Bestowing, lodgement, stowage.
| 1589 Warner Alb. Eng. v. xxvii, They find as bad Bestoe as is their Postage beggerly. |