▪ I. † aˈvaunt, n.1 Obs.
Forms: 4–6 au- avant, 4–7 au- avaunt(e, 5 awaunte, 6 advaunt(e, (Sc. awant).
[f. avaunt v.1]
1. A boast, vaunt; boasting, vain-glory.
| c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 355 Yf þou þyn auaunt perforny myȝt. c 1380 Wyclif Three Treat. 35 Thei tellen to greet avaunt, that thei ben charious to the puple. c 1430 Life St. Katherine 56 Not in auant of pryde, bot in mekenesse. 1553 Brende Q. Curtius iii. 25 These wordes he spake with greater avaunt then trueth. |
2. esp. in phr. to make avaunt: to boast, declare confidently or arrogantly; = avaunt v.
| c 1340 Alex. & Dind. 570 Of more make ȝe avaunt..þan ȝe mow forþen. 1465 Paston Lett. 512 II. 206 They make ther awaunte were that I may be goten I schul dye. 1553–87 Foxe A. & M. (1596) 342/2 The saide Bishop dooth make his auaunt, that he had full power to create and depose kinges. a 1600 Parl. Byrdes 228 in Hazl. E.P.P. III. 179 For the Crowe spake the Cormoraunt, And of his rule made great avaunt. |
3. Promise.
| c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. B. 664, I a-vow verayly þe avaunt þat I made, I schal..sende to Sare a soun & an hayre. |
▪ II. † aˈvaunt, n.2 Obs.
[A substantive use of avaunt adv. or int. taken as a name for itself; cf. alarm, assemble n.]
The order to be off.
| 1596 Bp. Barlow Three Serm. iii. 132 The diuell tempted him, but he gaue him the auaunt, with the sworde of the spirit. 1613 Shakes. Hen. VIII, ii. iii, To give her the avaunt! 1711 Shaftesbury Charac. (1737) I. 232 The defiance or avant [to Satan] shou'd run much after this manner. |
▪ III. † aˈvaunt, v.1 Obs.
Forms: 4–6 au- avaunt(e, 4–7 avant, 6 advant, -uant, -vaunte, (Sc. awant).
[a. OF. avante-r, avaunte-r, f. à to, here intensive + vanter:—late L. vānitāre to boast (Augustine), freq. of *vanāre to lie (in Pr. and It.), f. vānus vain, empty. For the form advant see ad- prefix 2. In OF. as in Eng. mostly refl., s'avanter.]
1. trans. To speak boastfully or proudly of: a. To glory in, boast of (an action); b. To speak proudly of, praise, commend (a person).
| 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 8309 And þat ys nat þe synne leste, Avaunte þy synne to hym þat þou sest. c 1440 Bone Flor. 299 Wyth mekyll worschyp they hym avaunt. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 42 Þat nyȝt was Charl[es proude]..& auaunted his kniȝtes olde. 1556 J. Heywood Spider & Fl. lxxvi. 10 When he at end (to them) had it a vaunted. |
c. with compl. To boast, declare confidently (to be).
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. i. i. 5 Whereto auaunted(e) ȝe me to be weleful. 1513 Bradshaw St. Werburge (1848) 212 That I may the auaunt A gentill Werburge. |
2. refl. To boast, brag, glory, vaunt oneself. Const. of, for.
| 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 4298 His disciples..Sal þam avant, and þam self hald Better of lif. c 1386 Chaucer Melib. ¶585 Prudence had herd hire housbond avaunte him of his richesse. 1547 Homilies i. iii. ii. 28 When a man avaunteth not himself for his own righteousness. 1580 Baret Alv. A 714 To auaunt himselfe prowdely, Gloriari insolenter. |
b. with subord. clause or inf. phr.
| c 1315 Shoreham 118 To segge that ich hyt maky can..Dar ich me nauȝt avanty. c 1386 Chaucer Wife's T. 158, I dar me wel avaunte, Thy lif is sauf. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 28/2 Evyl peple auaunte them to haue don myracles. 1553–87 Foxe A. & M. (1684) II. 95 He so avanted himself, that he had slain a Lutheran Priest. |
3. intr. in sense of 2.
| 1471 Ripley Comp. Alch. v. (Ashm. 1652) 154 As they make boste of and avaunte. 1569 J. Sandford Agrippa's Van. Artes 182 b, In this serpente lette him then auaunte, that glorieth in knowledge. 1573 Cooper Thesaur., Glorior..to auaunt or boast, to thende to haue praise. |
b. with subord. clause or inf. phr.
| 1473 Sir J. Paston in Lett. 722 III. 85 He shall not avaunt that evyr he spake with hym. 1553 Brende Q. Curtius viii. 5 Advauntyng the notable victorye at Cheronese to be his dede. 1576 Gascoigne Philomene (Arb.) 89, I might aduant Of al his speech to knowe the plaine entent. |
▪ IV. † aˈvaunt, v.2 Obs.
Also 6 advant.
[f. avaunt adv., but also influenced probably by avaunt v.1 1 and advance v. In sense 3, apparently from the interjectional sense away! be off!]
1. intr. To go or come forward, advance.
| c 1400 Beryn 1972 Somtyme thowe wolt auaunte, & som tyme wolt arere. 1596 Spenser F.Q. ii. iii. 6 To whom avaunting in great bravery. |
2. trans. To raise, advance.
| 1393 Gower Conf. I. 246 To knighthode more and more Prowesse avaunteth his corage. c 1400 Melayne 1575 The kynge callede sir lyonelle, And a-vauntede hym full heghe. 1605 [see advant v.2]. |
3. To be off, go away, depart.
| 1549 Coverdale Erasm. Par. Jude 21 That they should not avaunt..into the dongeon of eternal damnacion. 1601 Chester Love's Mart. xii. (1878) 83 It causeth them from thence for to auaunt. |
▪ V. avaunt, adv., int. etc.
(əˈvɔːnt, əˈvɑːnt)
Forms: 4–7 auaunt, 5–8 au- avant, (5 a-want), 4– avaunt.
[a. F. avant to the front, forward, before:—L. ab ante ‘from before,’ used in late L. for the simple ante; cf. arrear.]
† A. adv. Forward, to the front. Obs.
| c 1400 Rom. Rose 3958 With that word came Drede avaunt. Ibid. 4793 Never the more avaunt, Right nought am I thurgh youre doctrine. 1415 Pol. Poems (1859) II. 125 Lete every man preve hym silfe a good man this day, and avant baneres. c 1440 Arthur 444 Than seyd Arthour, ‘Auaunt Baner, & be Goo.’ |
B. interjectionally. orig. and lit.: Onward! move on! go on! Hence, Begone! be off! away!
| c 1485 Digby Myst. (1882) iii. 925 A-wantt, a-want þe, onworthy wrecchesse! c 1525 Skelton Agst. Garnesche 112 Avaunt, Avaunt, thou sloggysh. 1607 Chapman Bussy D'Amb. Plays 1873 II. 55 Auant about thy charge. 1687 Congreve Old Bachelor iii. vi, No! No! Avaunt! I'll not be slabbered and kissed now. a 1725 Pope Odyss. xix. 80 Avaunt, she cried, offensive to my sight! 1849 C. Brontë Shirley II. ii. 43 Accosted me as Satan, bid me avaunt. |
C. prefix. Forward, fore-. See later spelling avant-, also the aphetic forms vant-, van-.