Forms: 4–6 bistow(e, 5 bystow(e, 5–7 bestowe, (6 bestoe), 5– bestow. Pa. pple. bestowed, (7 bestowne). [ME. bistowen, f. bi-, BE- 2 + stowen to place, STOW.]
1. trans. To place, locate; to put in a position or situation, dispose of (in some place). arch.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, I. 967. The god of love hath the bystowid In place digne unto thy worthines.
1528. More, Comf. agst. Trib., II. Wks. 228/1. As rowmes and liuinges fal voyde to bestowe them in.
1567. Drury, Lett., in Tytler, Hist. Scot. (1864), III. 412. Bills bestowed upon the church doors.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., IV. ii. 48. How should I bestow him? Shall I put him into the basket againe?
1610. Gwillim, Heraldry, III. i. (1660), 96. Under what heads each peculiar thing must be bestowed.
1713. Pope, Iliad, IX. 284. Glittering canisters … Which round the board Menœtius’ son bestow’d.
1873. Browning, Red Cott. Nt.-cap, 116. The white domestic pigeon … does mere duty by bestowing egg In authorized compartment.
2. To stow away; to place or deposit (anywhere) for storage, to store up. arch.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 84. The leed after Satorne groweth, And Jupiter the brass bestoweth.
1494. Fabyan, VII. 466. Lancastre … bestowed suche ordenaunce as the Frenshemen for haste lafte behynde.
1526. Tindale, Luke xii. 17. I have noo roume where to bestowe my frutes.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., I. ii. 78. Answer me, In what safe place you haue bestow’d my monie.
1630. J. Taylor (Water P.), Gt. Eater Kent, 13. His store-house, into which he would stow and bestow any thing that the house would afford.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., xxix. (1856), 247. Bestowing away my boots in a snugly-lashed bundle.
3. To lodge, quarter, put up; to provide with a resting- or sleeping-place. Also refl. arch.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., III. 813. They were all bestowed aboord in Spanish ships.
1605. Shaks., Macb., III. vi. 23. Sir, can you tell, where he bestowes himselfe?
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low-C. Wars, 295. To bestow the wearied men into Garrisons.
1821. Byron, Sardan., III. i. 121. See that the women are bestow’d in safety In the remote apartments.
1851. Longf., Gold. Leg., IV. iv. Shall the Refectorarius bestow Your horses and attendants for the night.
† b. To bring to bed, confine. Obs. rare.
c. 1320. Sir Beves (Halliw.), 132. And Iosiane, Christ here be milde! In a wode was bestoude of childe.
† 4. To settle or give in marriage. Also refl. Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeves T., 61. To bystow hir hye Into som worthy blood of ancetrye.
1530. Palsgr., 452/1. He hath bestowed his doughter well.
c. 1550. Cheke, Matt. xxiv. 38. Eating and drinking, marijng, and bestowing yeer childern.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., V. iv. 7. You wil bestow her on Orlando heere.
c. 1670. Mrs. Hutchinson, Mem. Col. Hutchinson (1806), 9. Only three daughters who bestowed themselves meanly.
1714. Ellwood, Autobiog. (1765), 100. He bestowed both his Daughters there in Marriage.
5. To apply, to employ (in an occupation); to devote (to, of obs.) for a specific purpose.
c. 1315. Shoreham, 95. Thenche thou most wel bysyly, And thy wyȝt thran by-stowe.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Wyf’s Prol., 113. I wol bystowe the flour of myn age In the actes and in the fruytes of mariage.
1530. Palsgr., Introd., 2. Many … shall also herafter bestowe theyr tyme in such lyke exercise.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg. Howe to bestowe his remedyes to the body of man.
1580. Baret, Alv., B 580. Thou haste well bestowed thy paynes.
1653. Walton, Angler, i. 39. Bestow one day with me and my friends in hunting the Otter.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., VI. 279. These … onely bestowed themselves in prayer.
1851. Dixon, W. Penn, xv. (1872), 125. How he intended to bestow his day.
† b. esp. To apply money to a particular purpose; to lay out, expend, spend. Obs.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. II. 75. In þe stories he techeth To bistowe þyn almes.
1526. Tindale, 2 Cor. xii. 15. I will very gladly bestowe, and wilbe bestowed for youre soules.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., 56. But nowe it is a small matter to bestowe … a hundred pounde of one payre of Breeches. (God be mercifull unto us!)
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., V. v. 11. I would haue bestowed the thousand pound I borrowed of you.
1611. Bible, Deut. xiv. 26. Thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoeuer thy soule lusteth after.
1631. Weever, Anc. Fun. Mon., 225. He bestowed much in building.
† c. refl. To acquit oneself. Obs.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., III. i. 87. How, and which way I may bestow my selfe. Ibid. (1600), A. Y. L., IV. iii. 87. The boy is faire, Of femall fauour, and bestowes himselfe Like a ripe sister.
1606. Sylvester, Du Bartas (1633), 320. He all assayls and him so brave bestowes, in his Fight [etc.].
6. trans. (and absol.) To confer as a gift, present, give.
1580. Baret, Alv., B 580. To bestowe and giue his life for his country.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 45. Thee Greeks bestowing theyre presents Greekish I feare mee.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., IV. ii. 56. In bestowing, madam, He was most princely.
1632. Brome, Novella, II. i. To brag of benefits one hath bestowne Doth make the best seeme lesse.
1750. Johnson, Rambl., No. 38, ¶ 11. You here pray for water, and water I will bestow.
1802. Mar. Edgeworth, Moral T., I. i. 7. The importance that wealth can bestow.
1870. Bryant, Iliad, I. III. 83. Whatever in their grace the gods bestow.
b. Const. on, upon (of obs.) a person.
1535. Coverdale, 2 Chron. xxiv. 7. All that was halowed for the house of the Lorde, haue they bestowed on Baalim.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., III. iv. 2. How shall I feast him? What bestow of him?
1628. Wither, Brit. Rememb., Pref. 112. What freedomes on the Muses are bestowne.
1817. Jas. Mill, Brit. India, II. IV. v. 205. The steadiness … of the English … bestowed upon them a complete and brilliant victory.
1876. Green, Short Hist., vi. § 4 (1882), 301. He bestowed on him a pension of a hundred crowns a year.
† c. (rarely) to or dat. pronoun. (Cf. 1541 in 5.)
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., IV. ii. 163. You must needs bestow her funerall. Ibid. (1605), Lear, II. i. 128. Bestow Your needfull counsaile to our businesses.
