endow

Meaning

Verb

• To provide with a dower or a dowry.
• To give property to (someone) as a gift; specifically, to provide (a person or institution) with support in the form of a permanent fund of money or other benefits.
• Followed by with, or rarely by of: to enrich or furnish with some faculty or quality.
• Usually in the passive: to naturally furnish (with something).

Origin

• From Late Middle English endowen, endouen, enduen, indouen, indw, from Anglo-Norman endouer, from Old French en- + douer (from Latin dōtāre (present active infinitive of dōtō); modern French douer). Dōtō is derived from dōs (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deh₃-) + -ō.