endowment

Noun
US[en-dou-muhnt]/ɛnˈdaʊmənt/3 syllables

Open English WordNet

Noun (3)

  1. natural abilities or qualitiesSynonyms: gifttalentnatural endowmentType of natural abilityKinds flair, bent, raw talent
  2. the capital that provides income for an institutionSynonyms: endowment fundType of capitalKinds patrimony, chantry
  3. the act of endowing with a permanent source of income“his generous endowment of the laboratory came just in the nick of time”Type of giving, gift
Word of the day · Sep 29About this word
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)

En·dow′ment noun

1. The act of bestowing a dower, fund, or permanent provision for support.

2. That which is bestowed or settled on a person or an institution; property, fund, or revenue permanently appropriated to any object; as, the endowment of a church, a hospital, or a college.

3. That which is given or bestowed upon the person or mind; gift of nature; accomplishment; natural capacity; talents; — usually in the plural.

His early endowments had fitted him for the work he was to do.— Isaac Taylor

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54

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