endue

American  

[en-doo, -dyoo] / ɛnˈdu, -ˈdyu /

Also indue

verb (used with object)

endued, enduing

1. to invest or endow with some gift, quality, or faculty.

2. to put on; assume.

   Hamlet endued the character of a madman.

3. to clothe.

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endue British  

/ ɪnˈdjuː /

verb

1. (usually foll by with) to invest or provide, as with some quality or trait

2. rare (foll by with) to clothe or dress (in)

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Other Word Forms

• unendued adjective

Etymology

Origin of endue

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English endewen “to induct, initiate,” from Anglo-French, Old French enduire, from Latin indūcere “to lead in, cover, induce”; see induce

Explanation

You probably hope that your years of ballet classes will endue you with the ability to dance like Baryshnikov. In other words, you're dreaming that all of those arabesques and pirouettes will provide you with the dancing talent you wish for. Endue is a fancy literary term that shows up most often in formal writing, but you could impress someone by using it to mean "endow," "invest," or "empower." Less often, endue is used to mean "to put clothes on," or "dress," which makes sense when you know that endue comes from the Latin word induere, or "to put on."

Example Sentences

The heads that guide endue with skill, The hands that work preserve from ill, That we who these foundations lay May raise the top-stone in its day.

From The Story of the Hymns and Tunes by Brown, Theron

And with Love we cannot endue him, for that is desire in its supreme degree.

From The Hidden Power And Other Papers upon Mental Science by Troward, T. (Thomas)

After clothing him with all the virtues and accomplishments of the savage character, I proceeded to endue him with that filial affection, whose beauty and power it was my chief object to illustrate.

From The Island Home by Dalziel

Spirit of Power! with heavenly fire, Our souls endue, our tongues inspire; Stretch forth Thy mighty Hand, Thy Pentecostal gifts restore, The wonders of Thy power once more Display in every land.

From Days of Heaven Upon Earth by Simpson, A. B. (Albert B.)

"But did not you yourself come all the way from France to endue him with the duchy of Touraine?" he said.

From The Black Douglas by Richards, Frank