'To curry favor' definitions:
Definition of 'To curry favor'
From: GCIDE
- Curry \Cur"ry\ (k?r"r?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Curried (-r?d); p. pr. & vb. n. Currying.] [OE. curraien, curreien, OF. cunreer, correier, to prepare, arrange, furnish, curry (a horse), F. corroyer to curry (leather) (cf. OF. conrei, conroi, order, arrangement, LL. conredium); cor- (L.com-) + roi, rei, arrangement, order; prob. of German origin, and akin to E. ready. See Ready, Greith, and cf. Corody, Array.]
- 1. To dress or prepare for use by a process of scraping, cleansing, beating, smoothing, and coloring; -- said of leather. [1913 Webster]
- 2. To dress the hair or coat of (a horse, ox, or the like) with a currycomb and brush; to comb, as a horse, in order to make clean. [1913 Webster]
- Your short horse is soon curried. --Beau. & FL. [1913 Webster]
- 3. To beat or bruise; to drub; -- said of persons. [1913 Webster]
- I have seen him curry a fellow's carcass handsomely. --Beau. & FL. [1913 Webster]
- To curry favor, to seek to gain favor by flattery or attentions. See Favor, n. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'To curry favor'
From: 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]