give oververb

• 1

  archaicTo give up, hand over, surrender (something).

  • Diocletian, the emperor, was so much affected with it that he gave over his sceptre and turned gardener.
  • As soon as Julia returned with a constable, Timothy, who was on the point of exhaustion, prepared to give over [the fight] to him gratefully. The newcomer turned out to be a powerful youngster, fully trained and eager to help, and he stripped off his tunic at once.
• 2

  To entrust (something) to another.

  • She gave the deeds over to the solicitor.
• 3

  To devote or resign to a particular purpose or activity; to yield completely.

  • The factory has been entirely given over to aircraft manufacture.
  • He gave himself over to a monastic life.
• 4

  To quit, to abandon.

  • If the bodies continued missing until Sunday, all hope would be given over, and the funerals would be preached on that morning.
  • Lord, give over this wrastling. […] Tempt not the fates by another bout.
• 5

  dialectalTo give up; abandon; stop.

  • Give over with your nonsense, will you!
  • While he was declaring the truth, a constable came in with his great staff, and bid him give over, and come down: but William Penn held on, declaring truth in the power of God.