1. [n]  a disposition to kindness and compassion; benign good will; "the victor's grace in treating the vanquished"
2. [n]  (Christian theology) the free and unmerited favor or beneficence of God; "God's grace is manifested in the salvation of sinners"; "there but for the grace of God go I"
3. [n]  a sense of propriety and consideration for others
4. [n]  elegance and beauty of movement or expression
5. [n]  a short prayer of thanks before a meal
6. [n]  (Greek mythology) one of three sisters who were the givers of beauty and charm; a favorite subject for sculptors
7. [n]  (Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who under such divine influence; "the conception of grace developed alongside the conception of sin"; "it was debated whether saving grace could be obtained outside the membership of the church"; "the Virgin lived in a state of grace"
8. [v]  make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.; "Decorate the room for the party"; "beautify yourself for the special day"
9. [v]  be beautiful to look at; "Flowers adorned the tables everywhere"

1. \Grace\, n. [F. gr[^a]ce, L. gratia, from gratus beloved,
   dear, agreeable; perh. akin to Gr. ? to rejoice, ? favor,
   grace, Skr. hary to desire, and E. yearn. Cf. {Grateful},
   {Gratis}.]
   1. The exercise of love, kindness, mercy, favor; disposition
      to benefit or serve another; favor bestowed or privilege
      conferred.
   
            To bow and sue for grace With suppliant knee.
                                                  --Milton.
   
   2. (Theol.) The divine favor toward man; the mercy of God, as
      distinguished from His justice; also, any benefits His
      mercy imparts; divine love or pardon; a state of
      acceptance with God; enjoyment of the divine favor.
   
            And if by grace, then is it no more of works. --Rom.
                                                  xi. 6.
   
            My grace is sufficicnt for thee.      --2 Cor. xii.
                                                  9.
   
            Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
                                                  --Rom. v. 20.
   
            By whom also we have access by faith into this grace
            wherein we stand.                     --Rom. v.2
   
   3. (Law)
      (a) The prerogative of mercy execised by the executive, as
          pardon.
      (b) The same prerogative when exercised in the form of
          equitable relief through chancery.
   
   4. Fortune; luck; -- used commonly with hard or sorry when it
      means misfortune. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
   
   5. Inherent excellence; any endowment or characteristic
      fitted to win favor or confer pleasure or benefit.
   
            He is complete in feature and in mind. With all good
            grace to grace a gentleman.           --Shak.
   
            I have formerly given the general character of Mr.
            Addison's style and manner as natural and
            unaffected, easy and polite, and full of those
            graces which a flowery imagination diffuses over
            writing.                              --Blair.
   
   
   
   6. Beauty, physical, intellectual, or moral; loveliness;
      commonly, easy elegance of manners; perfection of form.
   
            Grace in women gains the affections sooner, and
            secures them longer, than any thing else. --Hazlitt.
   
            I shall answer and thank you again For the gift and
            the grace of the gift.                --Longfellow.
   
   7. pl. (Myth.) Graceful and beautiful females, sister
      goddesses, represented by ancient writers as the
      attendants sometimes of Apollo but oftener of Venus. They
      were commonly mentioned as three in number; namely,
      Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, and were regarded as the
      inspirers of the qualities which give attractiveness to
      wisdom, love, and social intercourse.
   
            The Graces love to weave the rose.    --Moore.
   
            The Loves delighted, and the Graces played. --Prior.
   
   8. The title of a duke, a duchess, or an archbishop, and
      formerly of the king of England.
   
            How fares your Grace !                --Shak.
   
   9. (Commonly pl.) Thanks. [Obs.]
   
            Yielding graces and thankings to their lord
            Melibeus.                             --Chaucer.
   
   10. A petition for grace; a blessing asked, or thanks
       rendered, before or after a meal.
   
   11. pl. (Mus.) Ornamental notes or short passages, either
       introduced by the performer, or indicated by the
       composer, in which case the notation signs are called
       grace notes, appeggiaturas, turns, etc.
   
   12. (Eng. Universities) An act, vote, or decree of the
       government of the institution; a degree or privilege
       conferred by such vote or decree. --Walton.
   
   13. pl. A play designed to promote or display grace of
       motion. It consists in throwing a small hoop from one
       player to another, by means of two sticks in the hands of
       each. Called also {grace hoop} or {hoops}.
   
   {Act of grace}. See under {Act}.
   
   {Day of grace} (Theol.), the time of probation, when the
      offer of divine forgiveness is made and may be accepted.
   
            That day of grace fleets fast away.   --I. Watts.
   
   {Days of grace} (Com.), the days immediately following the
      day when a bill or note becomes due, which days are
      allowed to the debtor or payer to make payment in. In
      Great Britain and the United States, the days of grace are
      three, but in some countries more, the usages of merchants
      being different.
   
   {Good graces}, favor; friendship.
   
   {Grace cup}.
       (a) A cup or vessel in which a health is drunk after
           grace.
       (b) A health drunk after grace has been said.
   
                 The grace cup follows to his sovereign's
                 health.                          --Hing.
   
   {Grace drink}, a drink taken on rising from the table; a
      grace cup.
   
            To [Queen Margaret, of Scotland] . . . we owe the
            custom of the grace drink, she having established it
            as a rule at her table, that whosoever staid till
            grace was said was rewarded with a bumper. --Encyc.
                                                  Brit.
   
   {Grace hoop}, a hoop used in playing graces. See {Grace}, n.,
      13.
   
   {Grace note} (Mus.), an appoggiatura. See {Appoggiatura}, and
      def. 11 above.
   
   {Grace stroke}, a finishing stoke or touch; a coup de grace.
   
   
   {Means of grace}, means of securing knowledge of God, or
      favor with God, as the preaching of the gospel, etc.
   
   {To do grace}, to reflect credit upon.
   
            Content to do the profession some grace. --Shak.
   
   {To say grace}, to render thanks before or after a meal.
   
   {With a good grace}, in a fit and proper manner grace fully;
      graciously.
   
   {With a bad grace}, in a forced, reluctant, or perfunctory
      manner; ungraciously.
   
            What might have been done with a good grace would at
            least be done with a bad grace.       --Macaulay.
   
   Syn: Elegance; comeliness; charm; favor; kindness; mercy.
   
   Usage: {Grace}, {Mercy}. These words, though often
          interchanged, have each a distinctive and peculiar
          meaning. Grace, in the strict sense of the term, is
          spontaneous favor to the guilty or undeserving; mercy
          is kindness or compassion to the suffering or
          condemned. It was the grace of God that opened a way
          for the exercise of mercy toward men. See {Elegance}.
   
   

2. \Grace\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Graced}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Gracing}.]
   1. To adorn; to decorate; to embellish and dignify.
   
            Great Jove and Phoebus graced his noble line.
                                                  --Pope.
   
            We are graced with wreaths of victory. --Shak.
   
   2. To dignify or raise by an act of favor; to honor.
   
            He might, at his pleasure, grace or disgrace whom he
            would in court.                       --Knolles.
   
   3. To supply with heavenly grace. --Bp. Hall.
   
   4. (Mus.) To add grace notes, cadenzas, etc., to.
   
   

(1.) Of form or person (Prov. 1:9; 3:22; Ps. 45:2). (2.) Favour, kindness, friendship (Gen. 6:8; 18:3; 19:19; 2 Tim. 1:9). (3.) God's forgiving mercy (Rom. 11:6; Eph. 2:5). (4.) The gospel as distinguished from the law (John 1:17; Rom. 6:14; 1 Pet. 5:12). (5.) Gifts freely bestowed by God; as miracles, prophecy, tongues (Rom. 15:15; 1 Cor. 15:10; Eph. 3:8). (6.) Christian virtues (2 Cor. 8:7; 2 Pet. 3:18). (7.) The glory hereafter to be revealed (1 Pet. 1:13).