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The Collaborative International Dictionary
To curry favor

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.

To curry favor

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.

    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 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.

    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 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.

    But, with your favor, I will treat it here.
    --Dryden.

    Syn: Kindness; countenance; patronage; support; lenity; grace; gift; present; benefit.

Usage examples of "to curry favor".

And why use paints for our lips and cheeks as some still do because another wanted to be a woman and not a man, pretended to be one, and courtiers imitated him-her to curry favor.

Santley was an apple-polisher, and once he realized, as he was sure to, that a new hand might be in control he would seek to curry favor.

He knew they invited him to curry favor, but stillit was thrilling.

Her donors were special interest types, who wanted to curry favor with the president.

Those men of pride will often identify with the meaner half of their line, out of spite perhaps, or the wish not to seem to curry favor by seeking to ingratiate themselves on the better side.

Across the square from the chandlery was an inn, with a sign bearing a golden bear, clearly an attempt to curry favor with Lord Jecks.

JFK: I cant go into details, but he threw over the woman he was engaged to to curry favor with me and my family.

Jiana was convinced that Radience's pathetic attempts to curry favor had sickened even her.

The managers try to curry favor with the boss by reporting that his son is doing great and is a natural genius for this business.