·noun The act of bestowing a dower, fund, or permanent provision for support.
II. Endowment ·noun That which is given or bestowed upon the person or mind; gift of nature; accomplishment; natural capacity; talents;
— usually in the plural.
III. Endowment ·noun 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.