FA'VOR, noun [Latin favor faveo.]

1. Kind regard; kindness; countenance; propitious aspect; friendly disposition.

His dreadful navy, and his lovely mind,

Gave him the fear and favor of mankind.

The king's favor is as dew on the grass. Proverbs 19:1.

God gave Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh. Acts 7:1.

Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain. Proverbs 31:30.

2. Support; defense; vindication; or disposition to aid, befriend, support, promote or justify. To be in favor of a measure, is to have a disposition or inclination to support it or carry it into effect. To be in favor or a party, is to be disposed or inclined to support it, to justify its proceedings, and to promote its interests.

3. A kind act or office; kindness done or granted; benevolence shown by word or deed; any act of grace or good will, as distinguished from acts of justice or renumeration. To pardon the guilty is a favor; to punish them is an act of justice.

4. Lenity; mildness or mitigation of punishment.

I could not discover the lenity and favor of this sentence.

5. Leave; good will; a yielding or concession to another; pardon.

But, with your favor I will treat it here.

6. The object of kind regard; the person or thing favored.

All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man.

His chief delight and favor

7. 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.

8. A feature; countenance. [Not used.]

9. Advantage; convenience afforded for success. The enemy approached under favor of the night.

10. Partiality; bias. A challenge to the favor in law, is the challenge of a juror on account of some supposed partiality, by reason of favor or malice, interest or connection.

FA'VOR, verb transitive

1. To regard with kindness; to support; to aid or have the disposition to aid, or to wish success to; to be propitious to; to countenance; to befriend; to encourage. To favor the cause of a party, may be merely to wish success to it, or it may signify to give it aid, by counsel, or by active exertions. Sometimes men professedly favor one party and secretly favor another.

The lords favor thee not. 1 Samuel 29:1.

Thou shalt arise, and have mercy on Zion; for the time to favor her, yea, the set time is come. Psalms 102:1.

O happy youth! and favored of the skies.

2. To afford advantages for success; to facilitate. A weak place in the fort favored the entrance of the enemy; the darkness of the night favored his approach. A fair wind favors a voyage.

3. To resemble in features. The child favors his father.

4. To ease; to spare. A man in walking favors a lame leg.