From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
favor \fa"vor\ (f[=a]"v[~e]r), n. [Written also favour.] [OF.
favor, F. faveur, L. favor, fr. favere to be favorable, cf.
Skr. bh[=a]vaya to further, foster, causative of bh[=u] to
become, be. Cf. {Be}. In the phrase to curry favor, favor is
prob. for favel a horse. See 2d {Favel}.]
1. Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly
disposition; kindness; good will.
[1913 Webster]
Hath crawled into the favor of the king. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. The act of countenancing, or the condition of being
countenanced, or regarded propitiously; support;
promotion; befriending.
[1913 Webster]
But found no favor in his lady's eyes. --Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in
favor with God and man. --Luke ii. 52.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
Beg one favor at thy gracious hand. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
4. Mildness or mitigation of punishment; lenity.
[1913 Webster]
I could not discover the lenity and favor of this
sentence. --Swift.
[1913 Webster]
5. The object of regard; person or thing favored.
[1913 Webster]
All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man,
His chief delight and favor. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
Wear thou this favor for me, and stick it in thy
cap. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
7. Appearance; look; countenance; face. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
This boy is fair, of female favor. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
8. (Law) Partiality; bias. --Bouvier.
[1913 Webster]
9. A letter or epistle; -- so called in civility or
compliment; as, your favor of yesterday is received.
[1913 Webster]
10. pl. Love locks. [Obs.] --Wright.
[1913 Webster]
{Challenge to the favor} or {Challenge for favor} (Law), 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} [see the etymology of {Favor}, above], to
seek to gain favor by flattery, caresses, kindness, or
officious civilities.
{With one's favor}, or {By one's favor}, with leave; by kind
permission.
[1913 Webster]
But, with your favor, I will treat it here.
--Dryden.
Syn: Kindness; countenance; patronage; support; lenity;
grace; gift; present; benefit.
[1913 Webster]
