give up the ghost

To die

Holy Ghost

The Holy Spirit, the third person in the Christian Trinity

not to have a ghost (of a chance)

Not to have the least chance of success

the ghost walks (theatre sl)

Money is available, the wages can be paid

give¹ /giv/

1. To bestow
2. To impart
3. To yield
4. To grant
5. To donate
6. To permit
7. To afford, provide
8. To pay or render (thanks, etc)
9. To pronounce (a judgement or decision)
10. To show (a result)
11. To apply (oneself)
12. To allow or admit

1. To yield to pressure
2. To begin to melt or soften
3. To grow soft
4. To open, or give an opening or view, to lead (with upon, on or into, a gallicism)
5. To donate

1. Yielding
2. Elasticity

givˈen adjective

1. Bestowed
2. Specified
3. Addicted, disposed (with to)
4. Granted
5. Admitted

Something that is assumed to be the case

givˈenness noun

givˈer noun

A person who or thing which gives or bestows

givˈing noun

1. The act of bestowing
2. The thing given

1. That gives
2. Generous, liberal

giveˈaway noun

1. A betrayal, revelation, esp if unintentional
2. Something given free or at a greatly reduced price, esp something offered with a product or service with the aim of increasing sales

given name noun

The name given to the individual, not that of the family, ie the first or Christian name, distinguished from the surname

give and take

1. Reciprocity in concession
2. Mutually compensatory variations
3. Fair exchange of repartee

give as good as one gets

To retort in equal measure in words or action

give away

1. To give for nothing
2. To betray
3. To bestow ceremonially (eg a bride)

give birth to

1. To bring forth, produce
2. To originate, begin, generate

give chase

To pursue

give ear (archaic)

To listen (to)

give forth

1. To emit
2. To publish
3. To expatiate, talk at length (informal)

give ground or place

To give way, yield

give head see under head

give in to (obsolete give into)

To yield to

give it to (someone) (informal)

To scold or beat (someone) severely

give it up for (informal)

To show one's appreciation to (a person) by cheering or applause

give line, head, rein, etc

To give more liberty or scope (the metaphors from angling and horse-riding)

give me (informal)

I would choose if I had the choice

give off

To emit (eg a smell)

give oneself away

To betray one's secret unawares

give or take

Allowing for an error of (a certain amount)

give out

1. To report, announce
2. To emit
3. To distribute to individuals
4. To expire
5. To relinquish (Shakespeare)

give over

1. To transfer
2. To desist from, to cease (Scot and N Eng dialect)

give over to

To set (a period of time) aside for a particular purpose

give place see give ground above.

give rein see give line above.

give the lie to

1. To accuse openly of falsehood
2. To prove wrong

give tongue see under tongue

give up

1. To abandon
2. To surrender
3. To desist from

give up the ghost see under ghost

give way

1. To fall back, yield, withdraw
2. To break, snap or collapse under strain
3. To begin rowing (usu as a command to a crew)
4. To allow traffic in a direction crossing one's path to proceed first

give way to

1. To yield to, submit to
2. To allow to take precedence, give priority to
3. To succumb to (eg grief)

what gives? (informal)

1. What's new?
2. What's happening?