favor /(fā"vẽr)/

fa·vor

favor

n.
  1. Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly disposition; kindness; good will.
    Hath crawled into the favor of the king.
  2. The act of countenancing, or the condition of being countenanced, or regarded propitiously; support; promotion; befriending.
    But found no favor in his lady's eyes.
    And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
    — Luke ii. 52.
  3. A kind act or office; kindness done or granted; benevolence shown by word or deed; an act of grace or good will, as distinct from justice or remuneration.
    Beg one favor at thy gracious hand.
  4. Mildness or mitigation of punishment; lenity.
    I could not discover the lenity and favor of this sentence.
  5. The object of regard; person or thing favored.
    All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man, His chief delight and favor.
  6. A gift or present; something bestowed as an evidence of good will; a token of love; a knot of ribbons; something worn as a token of affection; as, a marriage favor is a bunch or knot of white ribbons or white flowers worn at a wedding.
    Wear thou this favor for me, and stick it in thy cap.
  7. Appearance; look; countenance; face. [Obs.]
    This boy is fair, of female favor.
  8. Partiality; bias. (Law)
  9. A letter or epistle; -- so called in civility or compliment; as, your favor of yesterday is received.
  10. Love locks. [Obs.]
    But, with your favor, I will treat it here.

Phrases & Compounds
Challenge to the favor
the challenge of a juror on grounds not sufficient to constitute a principal challenge, but sufficient to give rise to a probable suspicion of favor or bias, such as acquaintance, business relation, etc. See Principal challenge, under Challenge.
In favor of
upon the side of; favorable to; for the advantage of.
In favor with
favored, countenanced, or encouraged by.
To curry favor
to seek to gain favor by flattery, caresses, kindness, or officious civilities.
With one's favor
with leave; by kind permission.

Favor

v. t.

imp. & p. p. Favored; p. pr. & vb. n. Favoring

  1. To regard with kindness; to support; to aid, or to have the disposition to aid, or to wish success to; to be propitious to; to treat with consideration or tenderness; to show partiality or unfair bias towards.
    O happy youth! and favored of the skies.
    He that favoreth Joab, . . . let him go after Joab.
    — 2 Sam. xx. 11.
    [The painter] has favored her squint admirably.
  2. To afford advantages for success to; to facilitate; as, a weak place favored the entrance of the enemy.
  3. To resemble in features; to have the aspect or looks of; as, the child favors his father.
    The porter owned that the gentleman favored his master.