give Meaning, Definition & Usage

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

WordNet

Give transitive verb
Etymology
OE. given, yiven, yeven, AS. gifan, giefan; akin to D. geven, OS. gan, OHG. geban, Icel. gefa, Sw. gifva, Dan. give, Goth. giban. Cf. Gift, n.
Wordforms
imperfect Gave ; past participle Given ; present participle & verbal noun Giving
Definitions
  1. To bestow without receiving a return; to confer without compensation; to impart, as a possession; to grant, as authority or permission; to yield up or allow.
    For generous lords had rather give than pay. Young.
  2. To yield possesion of; to deliver over, as property, in exchange for something; to pay; as, we give the value of what we buy.
    What shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? Matt. xvi. 26.
  3. To yield; to furnish; to produce; to emit; as, flint and steel give sparks.
  4. To communicate or announce, as advice, tidings, etc.; to pronounce; to render or utter, as an opinion, a judgment, a sentence, a shout, etc.
  5. To grant power or license to; to permit; to allow; to license; to commission.
    It is given me once again to behold my friend. Rowe.
    Then give thy friend to shed the sacred wine. Pope.
  6. To exhibit as a product or result; to produce; to show; as, the number of men, divided by the number of ships, gives four hundred to each ship.
  7. To devote; to apply; used reflexively, to devote or apply one's self; as, the soldiers give themselves to plunder; also in this sense used very frequently in the past participle; as, the people are given to luxury and pleasure; the youth is given to study.
  8. (Logic & Math.) To set forth as a known quantity or a known relation, or as a premise from which to reason; -- used principally in the passive form given.
  9. To allow or admit by way of supposition.
    I give not heaven for lost. Mlton.
  10. To attribute; to assign; to adjudge.
    I don't wonder at people's giving him to me as a lover. Sheridan.
  11. To excite or cause to exist, as a sensation; as, to give offense; to give pleasure or pain.
  12. To pledge; as, to give one's word.
  13. To cause; to make; -- with the infinitive; as, to give one to understand, to know, etc.
    But there the duke was given to understand That in a gondola were seen together Lorenzo and his amorous Jessica. Shak.
    Syn. -- To Give, Confer, Grant. To give is the generic word, embracing all the rest. To confer was originally used of persons in power, who gave permanent grants or privileges; as, to confer the order of knighthood; and hence it still denotes the giving of something which might have been withheld; as, to confer a favor. To grant is to give in answer to a petition or request, or to one who is in some way dependent or inferior.
Give intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To give a gift or gifts.
  2. To yield to force or pressure; to relax; to become less rigid; as, the earth gives under the feet.
  3. To become soft or moist. Obs. Bacon .
  4. To move; to recede.
    Now back he gives, then rushes on amain. Daniel.
  5. To shed tears; to weep. Obs.
    Whose eyes do never give But through lust and laughter. Shak.
  6. To have a misgiving. Obs.
    My mind gives ye're reserved To rob poor market women. J. Webster.
  7. To open; to lead. A Gallicism
    This, yielding, gave into a grassy walk. Tennyson.

Webster 1913