English

Noun

troth ‎(plural troths)

1. (archaic) An oath, promise, or pledge.
   • 1597, Shakespeare, William, “Act III, Scene 2”, in The Second Part of King Henry the Fourth:

     By my troth, I care not; a man can die but once; we owe God a death:

   • 1883, Pyle, Howard, “The Shooting Match at Nottingham Town”, in The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood:

     And by my faith and troth, I have a good part of a mind to have thee beaten for thine insolence!

   • 1909, Shumway (translator), Daniel Bussier, “Adventure XVI”, in Nibelungenlied:

     Hagen of Troneg now foully broke his troth to Siegfried.

2. Specifically, a promise or pledge to marry someone.
3. The state of being thus pledged; betrothal, engagement.

Quotations

betrothal

• 1893, Henry James, Collaboration

  Vendemer’s sole fortune is his genius, and he and Paule, who confessed to an answering flame, plighted their troth like a pair of young rustics or (what comes for French people to the same thing) young Anglo-Saxons.

• 1826, James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans

  I did therefore what an honest man should - restored the maiden her troth, and departed the country in the service of my king.

Related terms

• betroth
• betrothal
• truth

Translations