Give - Definition

n 1: the elasticity of something that can be stretched and
returns to its original length [syn: give, spring,
springiness]
v 1: cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense;
"She gave him a black eye"; "The draft gave me a cold"
2: be the cause or source of; "He gave me a lot of trouble";
"Our meeting afforded much interesting information" [syn:
yield, give, afford]
3: transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to
somebody; "I gave her my money"; "can you give me lessons?";
"She gave the children lots of love and tender loving care"
[ant: take]
4: convey or reveal information; "Give one's name"
5: convey, as of a compliment, regards, attention, etc.; bestow;
"Don't pay him any mind"; "give the orders"; "Give him my
best regards"; "pay attention" [syn: give, pay]
6: organize or be responsible for; "hold a reception"; "have,
throw, or make a party"; "give a course" [syn: hold,
throw, have, make, give]
7: convey or communicate; of a smile, a look, a physical
gesture; "Throw a glance"; "She gave me a dirty look" [syn:
give, throw]
8: give as a present; make a gift of; "What will you give her
for her birthday?" [syn: give, gift, present]
9: cause to happen or be responsible for; "His two singles gave
the team the victory" [syn: give, yield]
10: dedicate; "give thought to"; "give priority to"; "pay
attention to" [syn: give, pay, devote]
11: give or supply; "The cow brings in 5 liters of milk"; "This
year's crop yielded 1,000 bushels of corn"; "The estate
renders some revenue for the family" [syn: render,
yield, return, give, generate]
12: transmit (knowledge or skills); "give a secret to the
Russians"; "leave your name and address here"; "impart a new
skill to the students" [syn: impart, leave, give,
pass on]
13: bring about; "The trompe l'oeil-illusion establishes depth"
[syn: establish, give]
14: leave with; give temporarily; "Can I give you my keys while
I go in the pool?"; "Can I give you the children for the
weekend?"
15: emit or utter; "Give a gulp"; "give a yelp"
16: endure the loss of; "He gave his life for his children"; "I
gave two sons to the war" [syn: sacrifice, give]
17: place into the hands or custody of; "hand me the spoon,
please"; "Turn the files over to me, please"; "He turned
over the prisoner to his lawyers" [syn: pass, hand,
reach, pass on, turn over, give]
18: give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause; "She
committed herself to the work of God"; "give one's talents
to a good cause"; "consecrate your life to the church" [syn:
give, dedicate, consecrate, commit, devote]
19: give (as medicine); "I gave him the drug"
20: give or convey physically; "She gave him First Aid"; "I gave
him a punch in the nose" [syn: give, apply]
21: bestow; "give homage"; "render thanks" [syn: give,
render]
22: bestow, especially officially; "grant a degree"; "give a
divorce"; "This bill grants us new rights" [syn: grant,
give]
23: move in order to make room for someone for something; "The
park gave way to a supermarket"; "`Move over,' he told the
crowd" [syn: move over, give way, give, ease up,
yield]
24: give food to; "Feed the starving children in India"; "don't
give the child this tough meat" [syn: feed, give] [ant:
famish, starve]
25: contribute to some cause; "I gave at the office" [syn:
contribute, give, chip in, kick in]
26: break down, literally or metaphorically; "The wall
collapsed"; "The business collapsed"; "The dam broke"; "The
roof collapsed"; "The wall gave in"; "The roof finally gave
under the weight of the ice" [syn: collapse, fall in,
cave in, give, give way, break, founder]
27: estimate the duration or outcome of something; "He gave the
patient three months to live"; "I gave him a very good
chance at success"
28: execute and deliver; "Give bond"
29: deliver in exchange or recompense; "I'll give you three
books for four CDs"
30: afford access to; "the door opens to the patio"; "The French
doors give onto a terrace" [syn: afford, open, give]
31: present to view; "He gave the sign to start"
32: perform for an audience; "Pollini is giving another concert
in New York"
33: be flexible under stress of physical force; "This material
doesn't give" [syn: give, yield]
34: propose; "He gave the first of many toasts at the birthday
party"
35: accord by verdict; "give a decision for the plaintiff"
36: manifest or show; "This student gives promise of real
creativity"; "The office gave evidence of tampering"
37: offer in good faith; "He gave her his word"
38: submit for consideration, judgment, or use; "give one's
opinion"; "give an excuse"
39: guide or direct, as by behavior of persuasion; "You gave me
to think that you agreed with me"
40: allow to have or take; "I give you two minutes to respond"
41: inflict as a punishment; "She gave the boy a good spanking";
"The judge gave me 10 years"
42: occur; "what gives?"
43: consent to engage in sexual intercourse with a man; "She
gave herself to many men"
44: proffer (a body part); "She gave her hand to her little
sister"