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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Afford \Af*ford"\ ([a^]f*f[=o]rd"), verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Afforded}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Affording}.] [OE. aforthen, AS. gefor[eth]ian, for[eth]ian, to further, accomplish, afford, fr. for[eth] forth, forward. The prefix ge- has no well defined sense. See {Forth}.]
1. To give forth; to supply, yield, or produce as the natural result, fruit, or issue; as, grapes afford wine; olives afford oil; the earth affords fruit; the sea affords an abundant supply of fish.
2. To give, grant, or confer, with a remoter reference to its being the natural result; to provide; to furnish; as, a good life affords consolation in old age.
His tuneful Muse affords the sweetest numbers. --Addison.
The quiet lanes . . . afford calmer retreats. --Gilpin.
3. To offer, provide, or supply, as in selling, granting, expending, with profit, or without loss or too great injury; as, A affords his goods cheaper than B; a man can afford a sum yearly in charity.
4. To incur, stand, or bear without serious detriment, as an act which might under other circumstances be injurious; -- with an auxiliary, as can, could, might, etc.; to be able or rich enough.
The merchant can afford to trade for smaller profits. --Hamilton.
He could afford to suffer With those whom he saw suffer. --Wordsworth.
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
verb
1: be able to spare or give up; "I can't afford to spend two hours with this person"
2: be the cause or source of; "He gave me a lot of trouble"; "Our meeting afforded much interesting information" [syn: {yield}, {give}, {afford}]
3: have the financial means to do something or buy something; "We can't afford to send our children to college"; "Can you afford this car?"
4: afford access to; "the door opens to the patio"; "The French doors give onto a terrace" [syn: {afford}, {open}, {give}]
GOOD | BAD | SERIOUS | CRITICAL | NEUTRAL |
Definitions retrieved from the Open Source DICT Webster's English and WordNet 3.0 dictionaries. Click here for database copyright information.
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