Bestow vs Assign - What's the difference?

In obsolete|lang=en terms the difference between bestow and assign

is that bestow is (obsolete) to behave or deport while assign is (obsolete) a thing relating or belonging to something else; an appurtenance.

As verbs the difference between bestow and assign

is that bestow is to lay up in store; deposit for safe keeping; stow; place while assign is (lb) to designate or set apart something for some purpose.

As a noun assign is

an assignee.

bestow

English

Verb

(en verb)

To lay up in store; deposit for safe keeping; stow; place.

* 1611 , King James Bible, Luke 12:17:

And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits.

* 1977 , ", HarperCollins, page 358:

Of the Three Rings that the Elves had preserved unsullied no open word was ever spoken among the Wise, and few even of the Eldar knew where they were bestowed .

To lodge, or find quarters for; provide with accommodation.

* 1838 , Ben Jonson, The works of Ben Jonson :

Well, my masters, I'll leave him with you; now I see him bestowed , I'll go look for my goods, and Numps.

To dispose of.

* 1810 , Robert Dodsley, Sir Walter Scott, The Ancient British drama :

Here are blank warrants of all dispositions; give me but the name and nature of your malefactor, and I'll bestow him according to his merits.

To give; confer; impart gratuitously; present something to someone as a gift or honour.

Medals were bestowed on the winning team.

* 2008 , , Userfriendly.org , “ The Large Hadron Collider Game”

CERN bestows slush fund on the LHC. Take all pennies from the CERN space.

* 1831 , (Mary Shelley),

Soft tears again bedewed my cheeks, and I even raised my humid eyes with thankfulness towards the blessed sun which bestowed such joy upon me.

To give in marriage.

To apply; make use of; use; employ.

* 1887 , John Marston, Arthur Henry Bullen, The Works of John Marston :

[...] I determine to bestow Some time in learning languages abroad; [...]

(obsolete) To behave or deport.

Derived terms

* * * * *

assign

English

Verb

(en verb)

(lb) To designate or set apart something for some purpose.

(lb) To appoint or select someone for some office.

(lb) To allot or give something as a task.

*(Robert Southey) (1774-1843)

*:The man who could feel thus was worthy of a better station than that in which his lot had been assigned .

* (1796-1859)

*:He assigned to his men their several posts.

*:Captain Edward Carlisle; he could not tell what this prisoner might do. He cursed the fate which had assigned such a duty, cursed especially that fate which forced a gallant soldier to meet so superb a woman as this under handicap so hard.

(lb) To attribute or sort something into categories.

To transfer property, a legal right, etc., from one person to another.

To give (a value) to a variable.

Derived terms

* assignment * assignable * assignation

Noun

(en noun)

An assignee.

(obsolete) A thing relating or belonging to something else; an appurtenance.

* Shakespeare

Six French rapiers and poniards, with their assigns , as girdles, hangers, and so.

English transitive verbs