Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Espouse

Es-pouse′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Espoused
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Espousing
.]
[OF.
espouser
,
esposer
, F.
épouser
, L.
sponsare
to betroth, espouse, fr.
sponsus
betrothed, p. p. of
spondere
to promise solemnly or sacredly. Cf.
Spouse
.]
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
.
Shakespeare
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.

Webster 1828 Edition

Espouse

ESPOUSE

,
Verb.
T.
espouz'. [L. spondeo, sponsus, the letter n, in the latter, must be casual, or the modern languages have lost the letter. The former is most probable; in which case, spondeo was primarily spodeo, sposus.]
1.
To betroth.
When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph. Matt.1.
2. To betroth; to promise or engage in marriage, by contract in writing, or by some pledge; as, the king espoused his daughter to a foreign prince. Usually and properly followed by to, rather than with.
3.
To marry; to wed.
4.
To unite intimately or indissolubly.
I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 2 Cor.11.
5.
To embrace; to take to one's self, with a view to maintain; as, to espouse the quarrel of another; to espouse a cause.

Similar Results