to provide with a permanent fund or source of income: to endow a college.
to furnish, as with some talent, faculty, or quality; equip: Nature has endowed her with great ability.
Obsolete. to provide with a dower.
verb (used without object)
(of a life-insurance policy) to become payable; yield its conditions.
Origin of endow
1350–1400;Middle Englishendowen < Old Frenchendouer, equivalent to en-en-1 + douer < Latindōtāre to dower, equivalent to dōt- (stem of dōs) dowry + -āre infinitive suffix
Related formsen·dow·er, nounre·en·dow, verb (used with object)su·per·en·dow, verb (used with object)un·en·dowed, adjectiveun·en·dow·ing, adjectivewell-en·dowed, adjective
late 14c., indowen "provide an income for," from Anglo-French endover, from en- "in" + Old French douer "endow," from Latin dotare "bestow" (see dowry). Related: Endowed; endowing.