give over to
phr. v..phr. v.. to use a particular space or a certain amount of time for only one purpose.
phr. v.. to dedicate or devote a specific resource, such as time or space, entirely to a particular activity or purpose; often used in the passive voice.
The afternoon was given over to private study.
Large areas of the old city center have been given over to pedestrian zones and outdoor cafes.
The entire second floor of the gallery was given over to an experimental installation that challenged traditional notions of sculpture.
- Particles
- over to
- Separability
- inseparable
- Pattern
- give + over + to + object
frequently occurs in the passive form 'be given over to' followed by a noun or gerund.
contrast with 'dedicate to' or 'devote to'; 'give over to' often implies a total change in how a space or time block is used.
The room was given over for the meeting.The room was given over to the meeting.the phrasal verb requires the preposition 'to' to indicate the purpose or recipient of the space.