vow
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle English vowe, voue, that from Old French vut, in turn from Latin vōtum (“a promise, dedication, vow”), from vovēre (“to promise, vow”). Doublet of vote.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
vow (plural vows)
- A solemn promise to perform some act, or behave in a specified manner, especially a promise to live and act in accordance with the rules of a religious order.
- The old hermit, up in the mountains, took a vow of silence.
- A declaration or assertion.
- 2013 June 14, Sam Leith, “Where the profound meets the profane”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 1, page 37:
- Swearing doesn't just mean what we now understand by "dirty words". It is entwined, in social and linguistic history, with the other sort of swearing: vows and oaths. Consider for a moment the origins of almost any word we have for bad language – "profanity", "curses", "oaths" and "swearing" itself.
- (obsolete) A votive offering.
- 1786, Richard Payne Knight, The Worship of Priapus:
- There are also waxen vows, that represent other parts of the body mixed with them; but of these there are few in comparison of the number of the Priapi.
- 1786, Richard Payne Knight, The Worship of Priapus:
Usage notes[edit]
- One normally makes or takes a vow, or simply vows (see below).
- Commonly mentioned vows include those of silence, obedience, poverty, chastity, and celibacy.
- 'to keep/pay/fulfill a vow' = to honor a vow
- 'to break a vow' = to dishonor a vow
Translations[edit]
a solemn promise to perform some act, or behave in a specified manner
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a declaration or assertion
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
Verb[edit]
vow (third-person singular simple present vows, present participle vowing, simple past and past participle vowed)
- (transitive, intransitive) To make a vow; to promise.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Ecclesiastes 5:4:
- When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it.
- 1673, Richard Baxter, Christian Directory
- We do not vow that we will never sin, nor neglect a duty (nor ought we to do so).
- (transitive) To make a vow regarding (something).
- The wronged woman vowed revenge.
- To declare publicly that one has made a vow, usually to show one's determination or to announce an act of retaliation.
- The rebels vowed to continue their fight.
Translations[edit]
to make a vow
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to declare publicly that one made a vow
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Derived terms[edit]
Terms derived from the noun or verb vow
Related terms[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- vow in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- vow in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
- vow at OneLook Dictionary Search
Anagrams[edit]
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English doublets
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- Rhymes:English/aʊ/1 syllable
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