give over to

phrasal verb

gave over to; given over to; giving over to; gives over to

1

: to give (something) to (someone) to have, use, do, etc.

She has given most of her work over to her assistant.

2

: to allow (oneself) to be fully affected by, controlled by, or involved in (something)

He gave himself over to despair.

She gave herself over completely to her work.

3

: to use (something) for (a specific purpose)

—usually used in the form given over to

One of the upstairs rooms is given over to storage.

Much of her time recently has been given over to researching her family history.