- 1
To endow a college, a hospital, or a similar place is to give it a large amount of money — not just to buy one thing, but to set up a fund. That money is invested, and the income from it keeps helping the place year after year: scholarships, a clinic, a teaching post.
To endow捐贈 a college, a hospital, or a similar place給大學、醫院或類似機構 is to give it是給它 a large amount of money一大筆錢 not just to buy one thing不只是用來買一樣東西 but to set up a fund而是設立一筆基金。 That money那筆錢 is invested會被拿去投資， and the income from it而它的收益 keeps helping the place year after year會年復一年持續幫助那個機構： scholarships, a clinic, a teaching post獎學金、診所、教職。
It is a formal word. You meet it in news about gifts to universities, and in history.
It is這是 a formal word正式的用詞。 in news about gifts to universities在關於捐款給大學的新聞裡 and in history還有在歷史裡 You meet it你會遇到它。
Though actually, English also uses endowed another way: "endowed with" can mean given a quality, as in "endowed with a beautiful voice." That use is figurative. The older, concrete meaning — and the one this entry is about — is the gift of money that keeps producing support.
Though actually,不過其實， English also uses endowed another way英文也有另一種endowed的用法： “endowed with”「endowed with」 can mean given a quality可以指「被賦予某種特質」， as in就像 “endowed with a beautiful voice.”「endowed with a beautiful voice」（天生有一副好嗓子）。 That use is figurative這種用法是比喻性的。 The older, concrete meaning比較舊、比較具體的意思 — and the one this entry is about也就是這個詞條在講的意思 — is指的是 the gift of money that keeps producing support那種會持續產生支持的金錢捐贈。
原始詞典資料4 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
endowverb/ɪnˈdaʊ/
- 1
To give property to (someone) as a gift; specifically, to provide (a person or institution) with support in the form of a permanent fund of money or other benefits.
- His [John, King of England's] Acts and Orders for the VVeale-publike vvere beyond moſt: hee being either the firſt, or the chiefeſt, vvho appointed thoſe noble Formes of Ciuill gouernement in London, and moſt Cities, and Incorporate Tovvnes of England, endovving them alſo vvith their greateſt Franchiſes; […]
- Men began to build Churches on their own Grounds, at their own Charges, and to endow theſe; and they were naturally the Maſters, and in the true Signification of the Roman word, the Patrons of them.
- 2
To enrich or furnish with some faculty or quality.
- Wherby we bith lerned þat it shalnot only be goode to owre prince, but also to vs selff, that he be well indowed; ffor ellis the patriarke wolde not haue made such a trety.
- Vpon her eyelids many Graces ſate, / Vnder the ſhadow of her euen browes, / VVorking belgardes [beautiful looks], and amorous retrate [portrait], / And euerie one her with a grace endowes: […]
- 3
To naturally furnish (with something).
- She was endowed with a beautiful voice.
- And thus shal the aged Courtier, although he exercise not the qualities that he is indowed withal, comebye his ende at length, to instructe well hys Prince.
- 4
archaicobsoleteTo provide with a dower (“the portion that a widow receives from her deceased husband's property”) or a dowry (“property given to a bride”).
- And if a man entice a maide that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he ſhall ſurely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuſe to giue her vnto him, he ſhall pay money according to the dowrie of virgins.
- Also if a man ſeiſed in Fee Simple beeing within age endoweth his wife at the Monaſterie or Church doore, and dieth, and his wife enter, in this caſe the heire of the huſband may out her. But otherwiſe it is, (as it ſeemeth) where the father is ſeiſed in fee, and the ſonne within age endoweth his wife ex aſſenſu patris, the Father being then of full age.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。