What does "favor" mean?

Additional senses

1. 2.3. 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.
2. 3.Mildness or mitigation of punishment; lenity. I could not discover the lenity and fabor of this sentence. Swift.
3. 4.The object of regard; person or thing favored. All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man, His chief delight and favor. Milton.
4. 5.A gift or represent; 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.
5. 6.Appearance; look; countenance; face. [Obs.] This boy is fair, of female favor. Shak.
6. 7.(Law) Partiality; bias. Bouvier.
7. 8.A letter or epistle; -- so called in civility or compliment; as, your favor of yesterday is received.
8. 9.pl. Love locks. [Obs.] Wright. Challenge to the favor or 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 Etym: [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.
9. 10.To regard with kindness; to support; to aid, or to have the disposition to aid, or to wish success to; to be propitious to; to countenance; to treat with consideration or tenderness; to show partiality or unfair bias towards. O happy youth! and favored of the skies. Pope. He that favoreth Joab, . . . let him go after Joab. 2 Sam. xx.
10. 11.[The painter] has favored her squint admirably. Swift.
11. 12.To afford advantages for success to; to facilitate; as, a weak place favored the entrance of the enemy.
12. 13.To resemble in features; to have the aspect or looks of; as, the child favors his father. The porter owned that the gentleman favored his master. Spectator.