give
Pronunciation: (giv), [key] — v., n. gave, giv•en, giv•ing,
—v.t. - to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation; bestow: to give a birthday present to someone.
- to hand to someone: Give me that plate, please.
- to place in someone's care: If you give me your coat, I'll put it in the closet.
- to grant (permission, opportunity, etc.) to someone: Give me a chance.
- to impart or communicate: to give advice; to give a cold to someone.
- to set forth or show; present; offer: He gave no reason for his lateness.
- to pay or transfer possession to another in exchange for something: They gave five dollars for the picture. He gave me the car for $800.
- to furnish, provide, or proffer: to give evidence; Let me give you my umbrella before you go out in this rain.
- to provide as an entertainment or social function: to give a New Year's Eve party.
- to deal or administer: to give a blow to someone; to give medicine to a patient.
- to put forth, emit, or utter; issue: to give a cry; to give a command.
- to assign or admit as a basis of calculation or reasoning (usually used passively): These facts being given, the argument makes sense.
- to produce, yield, or afford: to give good results; 9 × 8 gives 72; The hen gave six eggs a week.
- to make, do, or perform: to give a start; to give a lurch.
- to perform or present publicly: to give a play; to give a concert.
- to cause; be responsible for (usually fol. by an infinitive): They gave me to understand that you would be there.
- to care about something to the value or extent of (something fanciful): I don't give a hoot about his opinion.
- to relinquish or sacrifice: to give one's life for a cause.
- to convey or transmit: Give Aunt Betty my love.
- to assign or allot: Give every man a full ration of biscuits. They gave him the name of “Joseph.”
- to bestow (the object of one's choice) upon, as if by providence: Give me the wide open spaces anytime.
- to be connected with, as by a telephone operator: Give me 235-7522.
- to present to an audience, as an entertainer, speaker, or act: Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the governor of Texas.
- to attribute or ascribe: to give the devil his due; After long study the critic gave the unsigned work to a minor impressionist.
- to cause or occasion: She gives me a pain in the neck.
- to apply fully or freely: He gives his free time to golf.
- to award by verdict or after consideration: A decision was given for the defendant.
- to inflict as a punishment on another; punish by; impose a sentence of: The judge gave him five years.
- to pledge, offer as a pledge, or execute and deliver: He gave her his promise. Can you give bond?
- to propose as the subject of a toast (fol. by an indirect object): Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our country.
- to bear to a man; deliver (fol. by an indirect object): She gave him a beautiful baby boy.
- to sire upon a woman; father (fol. by an indirect object): He gave her two children in the first five years of marriage.
- to concede or grant, as a point in an argument.
—v.i. - to make a gift or gifts; contribute: to give to the United Way.
- to yield somewhat, as to influence or force; compromise: We can't negotiate until each side is willing to give on some points.
- to yield somewhat when subjected to weight, force, pressure, etc.: A horsehair mattress doesn't give much.
- to collapse; break down; fall apart; fail: The antique chair gave when I sat on it.
- to be warm and open in relationships with other persons: a withdrawn person who doesn't know how to give.
- to divulge information: Okay now, give! What happened?
- to afford a view or passage; face, open, or lead (usually fol. by on, onto, etc.): The window gives on the sea. This door gives onto the hallway.
- A willingness to give and take is important for success in marriage.
- to compromise in order to cooperate:A willingness to give and take is important for success in marriage.
- to exchange ideas:an informal meeting in which there would be opportunities to give and take.
- That remark gave away his real feelings.
- to give as a present; bestow.
- to present (the bride) to the bridegroom in a marriage ceremony.
- to expose or betray (a person).
- to reveal (a confidence or secret, hidden motives, true feelings, etc.):That remark gave away his real feelings.
- to return (something), as to its owner; restore: You haven't given back the books you borrowed from me.
- See (def. 6).
- See(def. 8).
- to yield before superior force, as of arms or of reasoning.
- Please give in your timecards.
- to acknowledge defeat; yield.
- to hand in; deliver:Please give in your timecards.
- to reprimand or punish: His father really gave it to him for coming home so late.
- to devote or contribute generously of: to give of oneself; to give of one's abundance.
- to put forth; emit: The gardenia gives off a very strong fragrance.
- plus or minus a specified amount; more or less: It will cost $20, give or take a dollar or two.
- The fuel gave out.
- to send out; emit.
- to make public; announce.
- to distribute; issue.
- to become exhausted.
- to become used up; fail:The fuel gave out.
- to do or express something, esp. unrestrainedly or easily:to give out with a song.
- She gave over all her property to her daughter.
- to put into the care of; transfer:She gave over all her property to her daughter.
- to put an end to; stop:They will never give over their impossible dreams.
- to indulge in without restraint:She gave herself over to tears.
- to devote to a specified activity:The day was given over to relaxing in the sun.
- See(def. 55).
- to give up smoking.
- to abandon hope; despair.
- to desist from; renounce:to give up smoking.
- to surrender; relinquish.
- to devote (oneself&hasp;) entirely to:She gave herself up to her job and seldom saw her old friends.
- South Midland U.S.to consider; deem:She's given up to be the kindest woman around here.
- See(def. 26).
—n. - the quality or state of being resilient; springiness.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.