Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Favor \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.

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.

   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.

            Your short horse is soon curried.     --Beau. & FL.

   3. To beat or bruise; to drub; -- said of persons.

            I have seen him curry a fellow's carcass handsomely.
                                                  --Beau. & FL.

   {To curry favor}, to seek to gain favor by flattery or
      attentions. See {Favor}, n.