v. Also 7–8 indow. [f. EN- pref.1 + F. douer:—L. dōtāre, f. dōt-em dowry. In legal AF. (15th c.) endouer.]
1. trans. † a. To give a dowry to (a woman) (obs.). b. To provide dower for (a widow). Formerly Const. of.
1535. Act 27 Hen. VIII., c. 10 § 7. Suche woman shalbe endowed of as muche of the residue of her husbandes tenementes.
1574. trans. Littleton’s Tenures, 8 b. The wife … shall bee endowed of the thirde parte of such landes.
1607. Shaks., Timon, I. i. 139. How shall she be endowed, If she be mated with an equall Husband?
1635. Austin, Medit., 106. Lest hee should be thought unable to endowe his Spouse.
1767. Blackstone, Comm., II. 131. An alien also cannot be endowed, unless she be queen consort.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), I. 180. If the wife be past the age of nine years, at the time of her husband’s death, she shall be endowed.
† c. To give as a dowry. fig. Obs. rare–1.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 4. [Death] the dowaire that nature hath endowed to me.
2. To enrich with property; to provide (by bequest or gift) a permanent income for (a person, society or institution).
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1714), 69. Hou that the Crown may be best endowed.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., VII. (1520), 150 b/2. Whiche preest is sufficyently endowed for hym and a servaunt.
1569. Bk. Com. Prayer, Matrimony, With al my worldly Goodes I thee endowe.
1570. Act 13 Eliz., c. 10 § 1. Ecclesiastical Persons … being endowed and possessed of ancient Palaces … and other Edifices.
1580. Stow, Annales, 559. He indowed them with rents and reuenues taken from the priories … which hee suppressed.
1638. Penit. Conf., vii. (1657), 136. Let an Hospital be once erected, and endowed with maintenance for poor impotent people.
1772. Burke, Sp. Ch. Claims Bill, 17 Feb. Wks. X. 146. Not that the Church of England is incompetently endowed.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Cockayne, Wks. (Bohn), II. 64. A testator endows a dog or a rookery, and Europe cannot interfere with his absurdity.
1857. Toulmin Smith, Parish, 15. The piety of the wealthy led them to build and endow these [churches].
3. fig. a. To invest with (privileges, etc.).
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 75. All Achaæa generally throughout, Domitius Nero endowed with freedom.
1661. Bramhall, Just Vind., vi. 126. Justinian … did new-found the Patriarchate … and indow it with most ample priviledges.
b. To enrich or furnish with († in, † of) any ‘gift,’ quality, or power of mind or body.
a. 1420. Occleve, De Reg. Princ., 143. Hym ought endowed be in sapience.
1425. Paston Lett., 5, I. 21. Ye are … of worshepe and cunnyng worthyly endowed.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 34 b. Thinking on the vertues wher in he was endowed they complayned him moche.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 169 b. He hath endowed vs christians … with the spiryte of adopcyon.
1661. Bramhall, Just Vind., v. 88. Our Saviour endowed them with all the fulness of power that mortal men were capable of.
1743. J. Morris, Serm., ii. 34. They … who were indowed with any extraordinary gifts.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Lit., Wks. (Bohn), II. 114. Tennyson is endowed precisely in points where Wordsworth wanted.
1872. Yeats, Techn. Hist. Comm., 212. Inorganic matter becomes first endowed with life and organisation during the growth of plants.
1872. Morley, Voltaire (1886), 142. Considered as statuesque figures endowed with speech, Brutus, Cæsar, and the rest are noble and impressive.
c. To invest (imaginatively) with a quality.
1888. Miss Yonge, Hannah More, 62. The ladies not only believed in her wonderful genius, but endowed her with all imaginable virtues.
† d. Said of the qualities with which one is ‘endowed.’ Cf. ENDUE v. 9 b. Obs.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., I. i. 24. I do not thinke So faire an Outward, and such stuffe within Endowes a man, but hee.
† 4. ? Confused with ENDUE. To put on (garments).
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, C ij. The deuylle … dyde her endowe her gownes.
