\Fa"vor\, 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.
         Hath crawled into the favor of the king. --Shak.
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. --Dryden.
         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.   --Shak.
4. Mildness or mitigation of punishment; lenity.
         I could not discover the lenity and favor of this
         sentence.                             --Swift.
5. The object of regard; person or thing favored.
         All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man, His
         chief delight and favor.              --Milton.
6. A gift or represent; 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.                                  --Shak.
7. Appearance; look; countenance; face. [Obs.]
         This boy is fair, of female favor.    --Shak.
8. (Law) Partiality; bias. --Bouvier.
9. A letter or epistle; -- so called in civility or
   compliment; as, your favor of yesterday is received.
10. pl. Love locks. [Obs.] --Wright.
{Challenge} {to the favor or 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.
         But, with your favor, I will treat it here.
                                               --Dryden.
Syn: Kindness; countenance; patronage; support; lenity;
     grace; gift; present; benefit.

\Fa"vor\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Favored}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Favoring}.] [Written also favour.] [Cf. OF. favorer,
favorir. See {Favor}, n.]
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 countenance; to treat with consideration
   or tenderness; to show partiality or unfair bias towards.
         O happy youth! and favored of the skies. --Pope.
         He that favoreth Joab, . . . let him go after Joab.
                                               --2 Sam. xx.
                                               11.
         [The painter] has favored her squint admirably.
                                               --Swift.
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.                               --Spectator.