 | WordWeight : Weighing the Words |
| WordWeight : Weighing the Words |
Espouse
Pronunciation : Es*pouse"
Part of Speech : v.
Etymology : [OF. espouser, esposer, F. ?pouser, L. sponsare to betroth, espouse, fr. sponsus betrothed, p. p. of spondere to promise solemnly or sacredly. Cf. Spouse.]
Definition : 1. To betroth; to promise in marriage; to give as spouse. A virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph. Luke i. 27.
2. To take as spouse; to take to wife; to marry. Lavinia will I make my empress, . . . And in the sacred Pantheon her espouse. Shak.
3. To take to one's self with a view to maintain; to make one's own; to take up the cause of; to adopt; to embrace. "He espoused that quarrel." Bacon. Promised faithfully to espouse his cause as soon as he got out of the war. Bp. Burnet.
t. [imp. & p. p. Espoused; p. pr. & vb. n. Espousing.]
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
Merriam-Webster's Everyday Language Reference Set: Includes: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, The Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, and The Merriam-Webster Vocabulary Builder                               |