▪ I. swear, n. Now colloq.
(swɛə(r))
[f. swear v.]
An act of swearing; an oath.
1. A formal or solemn oath.
| a 1643 W. Cartwright Ordinary iv. iv, Gull'd by my swear, by my swear gull'd. 1691 Pol. Ballads (1860) II. 31 You must either take the swear, or starve. a 1704 T. Brown Dial. Dead, Reas. Oaths Wks. 1711 IV. 79 [He has] faced about to the Right, and taken the Swear. 1899 E. Phillpotts Human Boy ii. 38 We swore by a tremendous swear, to obey Trelawny. Ibid. iv. 108 She kept her swear all right. |
2. A profane oath, a swear-word; also, a fit or bout of swearing.
| 1871 C. Gibbon Lack of Gold v, A good swear is a cure for the bile, so swear away. 1873 Carleton Gone with a Handsomer Man i. in Farm Ball. 27 I've choked a dozen swears. 1894 Besant Equal Woman 127 He swore a swear. 1915 D. L. R. Lorimer Pashtu I. 194 Khlākah. Damn me. (An Afridi swear, said to be properly Khudāké.) |
b. A harsh noise made by an angry cat, bird, etc.
| 1895 J. G. Millais Breath fr. Veldt (1899) 98 Its cry of alarm (a jarring swear) is almost exactly like that of the common starling. |
▪ II. swear, v.
(swɛə(r))
Pa. tense swore (swɔə(r)); pa. pple. sworn (swɔːn). Forms: 1–2 swerian, (1 swer(i)ᵹan, suerian, 2 sweriȝen), 2–4 swerie(n, sweren, (3 swærie, suerie, 4 swery(e, Ayenb. zuerie), 3–5 swer, 4–5 suer, 4–6 suere, 4–7 swere, (4 squere, 5 sqwere, sweire, sweyre, suerne, 6 shwere), 5–9 Sc. sweir, (6 Sc. sueir), 6–7 sweare, 6–8 sware, 6– swear. pa. tense. α. 1–5 swor, 2–4 suor, 3 sweor, 4 suore, Ayenb. zuor, 4–5 Sc. swour, swoir, 4–5 (8–9 Sc.) swoor, 6 Sc. swoyr, 7 swoare, 3– swore. β. 3–4 swar, 4 suar(e, square, 4–7, 9 arch. sware. γ. 4 swer, suer, 4–5 swere, squere. δ. 1 swerede, 6 swered, 7 (9 dial.) sweared; 5 swarid, sward. pa. pple. α. 1–6, 8 sworen, 3 sweoren, 4 suorn, 4–5 squorn(e, 5 suoren, 5–7 sworne, suorne, (6 swarne, soren, sorne, shorne, Sc. suoryne), 4– sworn; 2 ᵹesworen, 3–4 i-, ysworen, 4–5 ysworn(e. β. 3–5 suore, 3–5, 7–9 (now dial. or vulgar) swore; 3 ysuore, 3–5 iswore, 4–5 yswore, 5 iswoor, (i-swere). γ. 4 yswered.
[Com. Teut. str. vb. (sporadically wk.) with j-present stem: OE. swęrian, swór, rarely swerede, -swaren, usually -sworen, = OFris. swaria, swera, also swara, swora, OS. swerian, -swôr, -sworen, (M)LG. sweren, swôr, swâren, swôren, MDu. sweren, (Du. zweren), OHG. suuerian, suuerran, suôr, gisworan (for *giswaran), MHG. swern, swûr, swuor, dial. swerete, gesworn, geswarn (G. schwören, schwur, † schwor, geschworen), ON. sverja, sór, svór, svarinn, also wk. svarði, svarðr (Sw. svärja, Da. sværge):—OTeut. *swarjan (not in Goth., which has a new formation swaran), f. swar-, whence also ON. svar answer, svara to answer, sware, and OE. and-swaru answer. The ulterior relations of the root are uncertain.
The conjugation of this verb has been influenced from early times by that of bear v. (OE. beran). The regular pa. tense swore (OE. swór) has never ceased to be extensively current, but from the 15th to the 17th cent. sware, formed on the analogy of bare (OE. bær, bǽron), was widespread; swar occurs as early as the first text of Layamon; suar(e is the prevailing form in the Cotton MS. of Cursor Mundi; sware and swore are both used in Malory's Morte Darthur; sware is the only form in the Bible of 1611 (exc. in the Apocrypha), but is rare in the 1st Folio of Shakespeare. In the 14th and 15th a by-form swere occurs, after bere.]
I. 1. intr. To make a solemn declaration or statement with an appeal to God or a superhuman being, or to some sacred object, in confirmation of what is said; to take an oath.
Const. by, on, or upon that to which appeal is made (see 13, 16), in OE. on, þurh, under.
| a 900 Laws of K. ælfred Introd. c. 48 Ne swerᵹen ᵹe næfre under hæðne godas. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. v. 34 Ego autem dico uobis non iurare omnino, ic uutetlice cueðo iuh to ne sueriᵹe æfre [Rushw. þæt ᵹe ne sellaþ hað vel swerᵹe allunga, Ags. Gosp. þæt ᵹe eallunga ne swerion, Hatton sweriᵹan]. a 1225 Ancr. R. 70 Ȝe ne schulen uor none þinge ne warien, ne swerien, bute ȝif ȝe siggen witterliche, oðer sikerliche. 1340 Ayenb. 6 Ine non oþre manyere ne is no riȝt to zuerie. c 1410 Lanterne of Liȝt xii. 89 Ȝit enemyes purswen aȝen þis comaundement, & seyn þat Crist him silf swore, and hise seintis boþe. a 1425 Cursor M. 6848 (Trin.) Trowe on no goddes fals, Swereþ not I bidde ȝou als. 1660 in Extr. St. Papers rel. Friends Ser. ii. (1911) 122 Wee dare not sware least we sin against our God. 1716 Hearne Collect. (O.H.S.) V. 382 Charlett himself told me I should be forced to quit, if I did not swear (as I was resolved not to do). 1798 Coleridge Fears in Solitude 73 The Book of Life is made A superstitious instrument, on which We gabble o'er the oaths we mean to break; For all must swear. 1815 Scott Guy M. xxxii, ‘As a magistrate,..if you refuse to answer my questions, I must put you upon your oath.’ ‘Troth, sir, I am no free to swear.’ |
2. To promise or undertake something by an oath; to take an oath by way of a solemn promise or undertaking. (Const. as in 1; also const. dat. or to the person to whom the promise is made.) a. intr. (See also 17 a.)
| c 825 Vesp. Psalter xiv. [xv.] 4 Qui jurat proximo suo et non decepit eum, se swereð ðæm nestan his & ne beswac hine. c 1205 Lay. 22865–7 ærst sweor Arður..seoððen sworen eorles. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 2433 Iosep swor him al-so he bad. a 1300 Cursor M. 18362 (Cott.) Þou has þam drund and don forfare, Als þou til ur for-eildres suare. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1321 Dido, And so ȝe wele me now to wiue take As ȝe han sworne. c 1400 Destr. Troy 11837 Priam on his part, & his prise knightes, Sweryn all swiftly, & no swyke thoghtyn. 1562 A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) i. 134 Credence is past off promeis, tho{supt} thai sweir. 1634 Milton Comus 1011 From her fair unspotted side Two blissful twins are to be born, Youth and Joy; so Jove hath sworn. 1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacræ ii. vi. §6 God is said to swear when he binds himself absolutely to performance. 1837 Dickens Pickw. ii, ‘Can I rely upon your secrecy?’..‘You can’..‘Hear me swear―’. ‘No, no..don't swear, it's quite unnecessary.’ 1902 V. Jacob Sheep-Stealers viii, ‘Swear, I tell ye.’ ‘I swear it, so help me God.’ |
| fig. 1610 Shakes. Temp. i. i. 62 Hee'l be hang'd yet, Though euery drop of water sweare against it, And gape at widst to glut him. |
b. with inf.
| 1154 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1140 Alle diden him manred, & suoren þe pais to halden. c 1290 Beket 1007 in S. Eng. Leg. 135 He suor to holde þe eorþelich honur and hath i-broke is oth. c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 3405, xi kinges & doukes on Han ysworn, Arthour to slon. c 1400 Destr. Troy 13643 Fayne were þo freikes..And swiftly þai swere..To be lell to þe lord all his lyf tyme. 1441 Extr. Aberd. Reg. (1844) I. 7 He sall swere to keep this statute. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. V, 71 All maner persones of holy Churche..that shal swere to kepe this presente accord. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 322 Or in this abject posture have ye sworn To adore the Conquerour? 1797 Mrs. Radcliffe Italian xvii, I have sworn to speak the truth only. 1832 W. Irving Alhambra II. 274 [He] swore not to raise his camp until he had gained possession of the place. 1867 Howells Ital. Journ. 105 At last we leave the gates, and swear each other to come again many times while in Naples. |
| ellipt. 1600 Shakes. A.Y.L. v. iv. 107 They shooke hands, and swore brothers. |
c. with clause (occas. with quoted words).
| c 1000 ælfric Josh. ii. 12 Sweriað me nu þurh drihten, þæt ᵹe don eft wið me swilce mildheortnisse, swa ic macode wið eow. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 213 Þe sullere..swereð þat he hit nele lasse selle, þe beggere..swereð þat he nele more geuen. c 1205 Lay. 29078 Heo..sworen þat heo wolden Heore forward halden. c 1275 Ibid. 5866 We ȝou wolleþ swerie Vppen houre swerdes Þat we wolleþ ȝou bi-fore Libbe oþer ligge. a 1300 Cursor M. 3225 (Cott.) Apon his kne he did him suere [Fairf. squere] Þat he suld be lel errand berer. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VI. 445 He hadde byhote and i-swore þat he schulde ȝelde Normandye to Richard. c 1420 Sir Amadace (Camden) xxii, Thenne he squere, ‘Be Ihesu, Mare sun, That body schalle neuyr in the erthe come, My siluyr tille that I haue.’ c 1470 Henry Wallace v. 864 He..swour he suld be wengit on that deid. a 1529 Skelton E. Rummyng 164 Elynour swered, Nay, Ye shall not beare away My ale for nought, By hym that me bought! 1592 Soliman & Pers. v. ii. 63 He lept for ioy, swearing and promising That our reward should be redoubled. 1689 in Acts Parl. Scot. (1875) XII. 51/1, I faithfully promitt in presence of the almighty god and swear þat I shall demean my self faithfully. 1813 Scott Rokeby iv. xiv, Rokeby sware, No rebel's son should wed his heir. |
d. trans. With pron. as obj.
| [a 1000 Elene 686 (Gr.) Ic þæt ᵹesweriᵹe þurh sunu meotodes..þæt ðu hungre scealt..cwylmed weorðan.] c 1205 Lay. 22507 ælche ȝere Ȝiuen [ich] þe wulle æhte..Þis ich wullen þe swerien. a 1225 Ancr. R. 96 Ich heuede isworen hit, luuien ich mot te. c 1300 Havelok 398 Godard stirt up, an swor al þat þe king him bad. c 1369 Chaucer Dethe Blaunche 1231 As I best koude I swore hir this. c 1412 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 2331 He rathir chees be disobedient..Than be forsworn of þat he swoor so depe. 1567 Gude & Godlie Ball. (S.T.S.) 91 Quhateuer he sweir to ony man,..His promeis he will keip. 1667 Milton P.L. iv. 96 How soon Would highth recal high thoughts, how soon unsay What feign'd submission swore. 1869 Freeman Norm. Conq. III. xii. 246 Harold then..swore, but what he swore is as uncertain as it is when and where he swore it. |
3. trans. With certain ns.: To promise or undertake on oath to observe or perform (something). a. fidelity, allegiance, etc.
| a 1154 O.E. Chron. an. 1123 (Laud) Se ærceb[iscop] swor him underþeodnysse of ealle ða þing [etc.]. c 1290 Beket 1017 in S. Eng. Leg. 135 Þou suore þe kynge eorþelich honour and nelt don him non. 13.. K. Alis. 7427 (Laud MS.), Hij duden hym alle feute And sworen to hym also leute. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) V. 331 Arthur..ȝaf hym Hampschire and Somersete..and fey was i-swore to hym. c 1440 Partonope (1862) 2723 The king of Fraunce tolde homage And ther-to suer hostage, That they shulde him bere fayth and trouth. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, v. iv. 169 Then sweare Allegeance to his Maiesty. 1595 ― John v. iv. 19 That Altar, where we swore to you Deere Amity, and euerlasting loue. 1600 E. Blount tr. Conestaggio 76 That the Noblemen and Commons shoulde presently sweare obedience vnto them. 1675 Crowne Andromache iv, Go, swear to her, the faith thou swor'st to me. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xviii, While the French nation and army were swearing fidelity round the eagles in the Champ de Mars. |
| absol. a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 2104 Þar sere citis of þa sidis to him-selfe sweren. 1605 Shakes. Macb. iv. ii. 47 Son. What is a Traitor? Wife. Why one that sweares, and lyes. |
b. an action that is to be accomplished.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 3994 (Cott.) Lauerd, þou send me now þi rede, Gains esau has suorn [Fairf. squorne] mi dede. 15.. Christ's Kirk 25 in Bann. MS. (Hunter. Cl.) 283 Thocht all hir kin had sworn hir deid. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lxxxvii. 277 Thus duke Raoull sware the deth of Huon. a 1575 Diurn. Occurr. (Bannatyne Cl.) 308 Be the tennour heirof sueris and promeissis ane cessatioun and abstinence from hostilitie. 1592 Arden of Feversham ii. ii. 131 The villaine hath sworne the slaughter of his maister. a 1774 Goldsm. Hist. Greece II. 150 Whose destruction they had more than once swore. 1859 FitzGerald Omar lxx, Repentance oft before I swore. |
c. conditions, an agreement.
| a 1154 O.E. Chron. an. 1094 (Laud) Þær seo forewarde ær wæs ᵹewroht and eac ᵹesworen. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VIII. 51 Þe articules þat he hadde i-swore in his crownynge. 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. ii. i. 113 Cas. And let vs sweare our Resolution. Brut. No, not an Oath. a 1649 Drummond of Hawthornden Poems Wks. (1711) 49 Thou ne're swore our covenant. a 1715 Burnet Own Time an. 1675 (1724) I. 381 When the long Parliament engaged into the league with Scotland, he would not swear the Covenant. 1757 W. Wilkie Epigon. vi. 167 A truce we swore; Jove witnessed the deed. |
4. To affirm, assert, or declare something by an oath; to make oath to the truth of a statement. (Const. as in 1.) a. (a) intr.: spec. to give evidence on oath (against a person). Now rare.
| c 825 Vesp. Psalter ci. 9 [cii. 8] Adversum me jurabant, [hi] wið me sworun. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. Prol. 58 Al swere I nat, of this I wol nat lye. c 1420 Sir Amadace (Camden) xxiii, Quen Sir Amadace herd that he hade squorne. c 1450 J. Capgrave Life St. Gilbert xxi, He was reqwyred to come be-fore þe iuges & make þer a bodely oth wheythir he was gilty in þis mater or nowt. But þis refused he, for he saide he had leuer be exiled þan swere. 1580 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 442 That which followeth I saw, where-of who so doubteth, I will sweare. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. iii. ii. 206 Swearing till my very rough [= roof] was dry With oathes of loue. 1613 ― Hen. VIII, v. i. 133 At what ease Might corrupt mindes procure, Knaues as corrupt To sweare against you. 1681 Dryden Abs. & Achit. i. 1012 Against themselves their Witnesses will Swear. 1810 Crabbe Borough xxii. 274 Why ask my father?—that old man will swear Against my life; besides, he wasn't there. |
(b) With home or hyperbolical expressions, as through a two-inch board; also, to swear one's way through{ddd}: denoting hard swearing.
| 1678 Ray Prov. (ed. 2) 271 He'll swear through an inch board, dagger out of sheath, the devil out of hell, 'till he's black in the face. 1680 in Hickeringill's Wks. (1716) II. 202 He swore home, or (as we say, through an Inch-board) against Records. 1722 [see home adv. 5]. 1728 Earl of Ailesbury Mem. (1890) 372 Then he went through thick and thin, and, according to an old English phrase, swore through a two-inch board. 1865 Dickens Mut. Fr. i. xvi, That severe exertion which is known in legal circles as swearing your way through a stone wall. |
b. with clause (or equivalent obj. and compl. or acc. and inf.): often also, to affirm emphatically or confidently (without an oath).
| 688–95 Laws of Ine (c 950) (Liebermann) c. 56 Oððe swerie þæt he him nan facn on nyste. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxvi. 74 Ða ætsoc he & swerede þæt he næfre þone man ne cuþe. 1038 Charter of Harold Haranfot in Kemble Cod. Dipl. IV. 57 Se king..swor..under god ælmihtine & under ealle halᵹan þarto þæt hit næfre næs na his ræd na his dæd. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1964 Til him he sweren ðat he liued. a 1300 Cursor M. 17493 Der yee suer, for godds blis, Þat yee herd and sagh al þis? c 1374 Chaucer Anel. & Arc. 122 He wolde preyen her to swere What was that worde. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xiv. 34 Haukyn..liȝtly gan swerye, ‘Who so leueth ȝow, by owre lorde I leue nouȝte he be blissed.’ c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1378 Hypsipyle, O oftyn sworist thow that thow woldist deye. c 1386 ― Prol. 454, I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound. 1484 Caxton Fables of Alfonce iii, [He] swore vpon the holy euangely that he toke none of the ryche mans oylle. a 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. IV, 232 b, Sweryng by sainct George that the kyng of Englande was not extracted of no noble house. c 1600 Shakes. Sonn. cxlvii, I haue sworne thee faire, and thought thee bright. 1621 Lady M. Wroth Urania 468 She swore I loued her not, began to lament her selfe, wept, and cryd; O vnconstant men. 1674 C. F. Wit at a Venture 60 Our Town..Can't shew the like I'le sware. 1711 in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 116 To refuse sweareing the said Queen to be head..of the English church, was a premunire. 1717 Lady M. W. Montagu Let. to C'tess of Bristol 1 Apr., I dare swear..that..'tis a very comfortable reflection to you. 1726 Swift Gulliver ii. viii, His men came back in a fright, swearing they had seen a swimming house. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xxxix, He swore it was as good as a play to see her in the character of a fine dame. 1865 Trollope Belton Est. iv. 39 He swore to himself that he did love her. |
c. trans. with pron. as obj.
| c 1200 Vices & Virtues 9 Al þat we more sweriȝeð, swo it is euel and senne. c 1275 Sinners Beware 19 in O.E. Misc. 72 Ah ich hit segge and swerie. c 1300 Havelok 647 Soth it is, þat men seyt and suereth. c 1400 Rom. Rose 7638 But trustith wel, I swere it yow, That it is clene out of his thought. 1638 in Verney Mem. (1907) I. 124 By my soule I dare swear itt. 1649 C. Walker Hist. Independ. ii. 105 Should they Vote..Oliver's Nose a Ruby, they would expect we should sweare it, and fight for it. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. xxi, Her father..tormented himself with imagining what the one sister might say or swear. |
5. trans. With certain ns.: a. To take an oath as to the fact or truth of; to confirm (a statement) by oath. Also † to swear sooth, swear truth.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xx. 160 Her syre was a sysour þat neure swore treuthe. 1382 Wyclif Eccl. ix. 2 As a for⁓sworn, so and he that soth swerth [orig. ut perjurus, ita et ille qui verum dejerat]. 1565 Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 404 Havand diverse of thair servandis fylit in the billis of Elname Newtoun..quhilkis billis ar sworne. a 1715 Burnet Own Time iii. (1823) II. 300 Depositions were prepared for them: and they promised to swear them. 1755 Johnson s.v., He swore treason against his friend. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) V. 387 Every such affidavit..shall be sworn before a person duly authorized to take affidavits in this court. 1847 C'tess Blessington Marmaduke Herbert lxii, Two men..against whom Mr. Herbert had sworn information for a conspiracy to extort money from him. |
b. To proclaim or declare with an oath or solemn affirmation.
to swear the peace against: see peace n. 9 b.
| 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1825 He..swere swyftely his sothe; þat he hit sese nolde. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 300 Whan he hath his trouthe suore. 1599 Shakes. Much Ado ii. i. 175, I heard him sweare his affection. 1667 Milton P.L. v. 814 The just Decree of God, pronounc't and sworn. 1709 Strype Ann. Ref. I. li. 513 That they should swear his supremacy, and obedience to him before some priest. 1871 Morley Carlyle in Crit. Misc. Ser. i. (1878) 168 A man of genius is at liberty to..swear all his conclusions. |
c. To value on oath at so much.
| 1854 Surtees Handley Cr. lxv. (1901) II. 199 She died.—Her wealth was great..and the Captain..soon discovered he might swear the property under twelve thousand pounds, without defrauding himself. 1873 Chambers's Jrnl. 10 May 304/2 James Wood, of Gloucester, who died in 1836, possessed of property sworn under {pstlg}900,000. 1896 Law Times C. 508/1 The gross personal estate is sworn at {pstlg}37,405. 16. 10. |
6. To take or utter (an oath), either solemnly or profanely (cf. 8). Also const. as in 1, 2, 4.
| Beowulf 472 (Gr.) He me aþas swor. c 1050 O.E. Chron. an. 1049 (MS. C) [He] cwæð þæt he him aþas sweriᵹan wolde & him hold beon. a 1123 Ibid. an. 1109 Ðær wurdon..þa aðas ᵹesworene his dohter þam Casere to ᵹifene. c 1205 Lay. 653 Þe king wes swiðe wrað & swar muchelne oað. a 1225 Ancr. R. 198 Þisses hweolpes [sc. Blasphemy] nurice is þe þet swereð greate oðes. a 1300 Cursor M. 4650 Al þat barunage,..To þis ioseph an ath þai suare. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 82 By Mahomet ys oþ þanne a swer. Ibid. 1045 Y til him am trewe ypliȝt & haue myn oþ yswered. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour Prol. 2 Grete fals othes that the fals men vsen to swere to the women. 1470–85 Malory Arthur viii. ii. 275 He..sware a grete othe that he shold slee her but yf she told hym trouthe. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VII, 17 b, Thys othe he sware in the great Church of Bruges. c 1643 Ld. Herbert Autobiog. (1824) 74 [Queen Elizabeth] swearing her usual oath demanded, who is this? 1784 Cowper Task iv. 629 He..mumbling, swears A bible-oath to be whate'er they please. 1823 Scott Quentin D. xxxiii, Never was false oath sworn on this most sacred relique but it was avenged within the year. 1852 Thackeray Esmond i. ix, My lord swore one of his large oaths that he did not know in the least what she meant. |
| transf. 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. i. iv. 87 Being thus frighted, [he] sweares a prayer or two & sleepes againe. 1823 Byron Juan xiv. xxxiv, Sires, The Nestors of the sporting generation, Swore praises, and recall'd their former fires. |
† 7. To use (a sacred name) in an oath; to invoke or appeal to (a deity, etc.) by an oath: = 13 a.
| c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 3498 Tac ðu nogt in idel min namen, Ne swer it les to fele in gamen. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 608 Swere nat hys name yn ydulnys. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 60 Many..men swerynge herte & bonys & nailis & oþere membris of crist. c 1400 Rom. Rose 5965 Yit wolde I swere, for sikirnesse, The pole of helle to my witnesse. 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas viii. xiv. (MS. Bodl. 263) 384/1 Nat afferd to suere goddis bonys With horrible othes of bodi flessh & blood. 1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys (1570) 174 But nowe eche sweareth the Eucharist commonly. 1605 Shakes. Lear i. i. 163 Lear. Now by Apollo. Kent. Now by Apollo, King, Thou swear'st thy Gods in vaine. |
8. a. intr. To utter a form of oath lightly or irreverently, as a mere intensive, or an expression of anger, vexation, or other strong feeling; to use the Divine or other sacred name, or some phrase implying it, profanely in affirmation or imprecation; to utter a profane oath, or use profane language habitually; more widely, to use bad language. (See also 12.) † to swear and stare: see stare v. 3 a.
| c 1430 How Good Wife taught Dau. 62 in Babees Bk. (1868) 39 To swere be þou not leefe. 1531 Elyot Gov. i. xxvi, They wyll say he that swereth depe, swereth like a lorde. 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. i. (1586) 15 b, Let him..in no wyse suffer them [sc. servants] to sweare or to blaspheme. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. i. (1877) 72 Then fell shee to sweare and teare.., to cursse and banne. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, i. i. 188 Oft haue I seene the haughty Cardinall..Sweare like a Ruffian. 1706 E. Ward Hud. Rediv. iii. 17 Your Folly makes me stare; Such talk would make a Parson swear. 1706 ― Wooden World Diss. (1708) 45 He never swears but in his Cups. 1841 Thackeray Gt. Hoggarty Diam. ix, O, sir, it would have frightened you to hear a Christian babe like him swear as he did. 1902 G. K. Menzies Prov. Sk. 17 Where a golfer, club in hand, Freely swears As he hacks with all his might. |
b. To utter a harsh guttural sound, as an angry cat or other animal. colloq.
| c 1700 Kennett MS. Lansd. 1033 s.v., The dog swears when he grumbles and snarles. 1753 J. Collier Art Torment. Concl. 232 [The cat] swears, she growls, and shews all the salvage motions of her heart. 1896 F. Galton in Spectator 11 Apr. 515 When Phyllis was a kitten she had wild fits, tearing round the room and ‘swearing’ horribly. 1902 Strand Mag. Jan. 72/2 Away to the east an angry [locomotive] engine was swearing. |
9. trans. a. To bring or get into some specified condition or position by swearing. (See also IV.)
| 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. v. ii. 275 Berowne did sweare him⁓selfe out of all suite. 1616 S. S. Honest Lawyer iv. G 4 b, I would sweare them to the Gallous, as well as they swore me out of my money. 1728 [De Foe] Street-Robberies 6 She might have swore her Eyes out of her Head, for the unbelieving Wretches did not mind what she said or swore. 1818 Scott Rob Roy vii, The miller swore himself as black as night that he stopt them at twelve o'clock. 1846 D. Jerrold Mrs. Caudle x, Because once in your lifetime your shirt wanted a button, you must almost swear the roof off the house. |
b. To put upon or ascribe to a person in a sworn statement.
| 1754 Goodall Exam. Lett. Mary Q. Scots I. Introd. 12 To the end that they might convict Murray and his party, both of murdering the King, and of forging papers, and then swearing them upon her. 1785 J. Trusler Mod. Times II. 142 To..lay them [sc. their bastards] at the doors of some gentlemen's houses, or swear them to persons that had been their common disturbers. 1900 S. Weyman Sophia iii, A silver tankard and twenty-seven guineas she took with her, and I'll swear them to you. |
II. 10. a. Orig. pass. To be bound by oath (see also sworn brother, etc. s.v. sworn); hence actively, to cause to take an oath; to bind by an oath; to put (a person) upon his oath; to administer an oath to. Also const. on as in 1.
| c 1050 Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 375/21 Conspirati, onan ᵹesworene. a 1400 Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS. xlix. 148 Good schame, holynesse, & curtesye As breþuren ben sworen. 1431 E.E. Wills 88 [I bequeath] To Maude Wilbe, xx li, so am y sworne. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour xvii, Thereof y am suore. 1483–7 Star Chamber Proc. (Som. Rec. Soc. 1911) 43 The same abbot wold not be sworne vppon eny answer. 1514 Extr. Aberd. Reg. (1844) I. 90 To be suorn the gret bodelie aitht. 1545 in Leadam Sel. Cases Crt. Requests (Selden Soc.) 80 William Warwyck..sworen vpon his othe sayth. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. v. i. 301 The first intergatory That my Nerrissa shall be sworne on. 1681 Trial S. Colledge 35 Mr. Att[orney] Gen[eral]. Swear Stevens. (Which was done.) 1776 Trial of Nundocomar 52/1 You have sworn me upon the waters of the Ganges: how can I tell more than I remember? 1802–12 Bentham Ration. Judic. Evid. (1827) I. 418 Tender the oath: if he accepts it, swear him. 1827 Hallam Const. Hist. i. (1854) I. 19 Commissioners were appointed throughout the Kingdom to swear every man to the value of his possessions. 1912 Times 19 Dec. 12/6 A member of a French Roman Catholic Sisterhood objected to be sworn on the Testament. |
| with compl. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VI, 137 He..hanged the Frenchmen, because thei wer once sworne English, and after, brake their othe. 1610 Shakes. Temp. ii. ii. 156 Ile sweare my selfe thy Subiect. 1682 Dryden Mac-Fl. 113 Hannibal did to the Altars come, Swore by his Syre a mortal Foe to Rome. |
† b. to have, make, take (a person) sworn: to administer an oath to. Obs.
| c 1400 Anturs of Arth. liv, Þay made hyme sworne to Sir Gawane. 15.. Sir A. Barton in Surtees Misc. (1890) 69 And ther he tooke me sworne. 1556 Chron. Grey Friars (Camden) 46 The erle of Angwyche..whome the kynge..had hym with the other lordes of Scotlonde shorne and resevyd the sacrament that [etc.]. ? a 1600 Lord of Learne 289 in Furniv. Percy Folio I. 192, I am tane sworne vpon a booke, & forsworne I will not bee. |
c. Const. to a person (i.e. in allegiance or service), a rule, a course of action, a declaration, etc. Similarly const. against.
Now chiefly in to swear to secrecy.
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 5520 Sire..ich was ysuore to him ar to þe. a 1325 MS. Rawl. B. 520 lf. 32 b, Eche man..i suuore ant assised to armes..þat is to wite to viftene pond worth of londe. 1338 R. Brunne Chron. (1725) 168 Now is Cipres lorn fro Isaac & hise, & to R. suorn for his valiantise. c 1386 Chaucer Sqr.'s T. 10 As of the secte of which þat he was born He kepte his lay, to which þat he was sworn. a 1400 St. Matthew 270 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881) 135 To chastite þan was scho sworn. c 1430 Freemasonry (1840) 436 And alle these poyntes hyr before, To hem thou most nede be y-swore. 1509 in Leadam Sel. Cases Star Chamber (Selden Soc.) 277 Eche of them had offendid the sayd statute of the Cyte whervnto they ware swarne. 1549 Latimer 7th Serm. bef. Edw. VI (Arb.) 185, I woulde not haue men to be sworne to them, and so adicte as to take hand ouer hed whatsoeuer they say. 1684 Pennsylv. Archives I. 87 That the Lord Balltemoare had sworne all the Inhabitants..with faith and Alleigense to him. 1690 Dryden Don Sebastian v. (1692) 108 Let me swear you all to secresy. 1700 Tyrrell Hist. Eng. II. 779 The King had sent Commissioners to Swear Men to the Observation of the Charters. 1745 R. Leveson Gower in Jesse Selwyn & Contemp. (1843) I. 75 We have all been swore to our depositions. 1814 Scott Ld. of Isles iii. xxiv, Sworn to vigil and to fast. 1852 Thackeray Esmond i. vii, He swore Harry to secrecy too, which vow the lad religiously kept. 1859 [Miss Piddington] Last of Cavaliers xlii. III. 138 Oh, was that Heaven itself sworn against me, that this was always hidden from me, to crush me so at last! |
d. with inf.
| c 1325 Poem Times Edw. II (Percy) x, The erchedeknes that beth sworn To visite holy cherche. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iii. 312, I am sworn to holden it secree. 1470–85 Malory Arthur Table Contents 9 He was sworne vpon a book to telle the trouthe of his queste. a 1530 Duke of Norfolk in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. iii. I. 378, I have soren all the Commissioners not to disclose any parte thereof to any other creature. 1531 in J. Bulloch Pynouris (1887) 62 Five of the best pynouris..sorne the grit aytht to be leill and trew to the merchandis. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII, 50 b, [The] crowner..assembled a quest..and hath sworne theim truely to enquire of the death of one Rychard Hun. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, i. iv. 213 Thy Sou'raignes Sonne, Whom thou was't sworne to cherish and defend. 1686 Goad Celest. Bodies i. ix. 29 They do not swear us to believe All they deliver. 1773 Blackstone Comm. i. ii. (ed. 5) 180 A select committee of fifteen members, who are sworn well and truly to try the same. 1805 Colebrooke Védas Misc. Ess. 1837 I. 43 The priest swears the soldier by a most solemn oath, not to injure him. 1827 Hallam Const. Hist. ix. (1854) II. 96 The..keeper of the great seal was to be sworn to issue writs for a new parliament. |
e. with clause. ? Obs.
| a 1450 Knt. de la Tour xix, They were suoren that none shulde late his wiff haue weting of her wager. 1570 in Archaeologia XL. 392 This examynate dyd swere hym upon a booke that he shuld not practys the same. a 1593 Marlowe Edw. II, i. i. 83 [We] were sworne to your father at his death, That he should nere returne into the realme. 1679 Establ. Test 21 His Father swore him before the Altars..that he should be perpetuus Romani nominis Osor. |
f. Phr. I dare be sworn, I'll be sworn, expressing strong affirmation, properly implying readiness to take an oath upon the fact. arch.
| 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. v. i. 172, I dare be sworne for him, he would not leaue it. 1598 ― Merry W. i. iv. 156 Ile be sworne on a booke shee loues you. 1610 ― Temp. iii. iii. 26 Ile be sworne 'tis true. 1693 Humours Town 4 I'll be sworn, it has seem'd an Age to me. 1835 Lytton Rienzi i. ix, I dare be sworn the good man spent the whole night in painting it himself. |
11. spec. a. To admit to an office or function by administering a formal oath. (See also 21.)
| a 1049 O.E. Chron. an. 1041 (MS. C) He..wæs to cinge ᵹesworen. a 1400 Old Usages Winchester in Eng. Gilds 350 Þer sholde be twey baylyues y-swore in þe Citee. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 86 b, He appointeth and sweareth others in theyr steade. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 130 Men empaneled and sworne for to enquire of the aforesayd articles. 1623–4 Act 21 Jas. I, c. 31 §1 To..choose and sweare one Master two Wardens sixe Searchers and foure and twentie Assistantes. 1681 Trial S. Colledge 21 Mr. Sheriff, there are a great many of the Jury that are not Sworn, they are discharged. 1712 Prideaux Direct. Ch.-wardens (ed. 4) 46 If any Arch-Deacon..shall refuse to Swear a Church-warden into his Office. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. i. vii. xi, Lafayette..swears the remaining Bodyguards, down in the Marble-Court. 1857 Toulmin Smith Parish 91 A Churchwarden may execute his office before he is sworn. 1880 M. E. Braddon Just as I am viii, The jury were sworn. |
b. with compl., usually expressing the office or function to which the person is appointed.
| c 1205 Lay. 30128 Kinges heo weoren ihouene & kinges isworene. 1556 Chron. Grey Friars (Camden) 73 The xxti day of December [1551] was sorne the byshoppe of Ely lorde [chancellor of Engla]nd. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. ii. iii. 55, I am come to fetch you home: I am sworn of the peace. 1608 in Capt. J. Smith's Wks. (Arb.) p. xc, Master Archers quarrell to me was..because I would not sware him of the Councell for Virginia. 1626 Earl of Wintoun in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. i. 45 Sum ladys ar suorne of the Quenis bed chalmer. 1628 Ibid., Var. Coll. IV. 238 A certificate..that he..be fitt to be sworne a free cittizen. 1665 in Verney Mem. (1907) II. 244, I am told Sir John Dynham's Lady and fine Mrs. Middleton are sworne the Queen's Dressers. 1727 Pope, etc. Art of Sinking 125 This may be obviated by swearing those six persons of his majesty's privy council. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. xii. III. 151 Richard..had been sworn of the Irish Privy Council. |
III. 12. swear at ―. a. To imprecate evil upon by an oath; to address with profane imprecation; gen. to utter maledictions against; to curse.
| 1680 H. More Apocal. Apoc. 357 The Wits of this age that are ready to swear and flear at any such profession. 1779 Warner in Jesse Selwyn & Contemp. (1844) IV. 13 In a fury, swearing like an Emperor at all the world. 1845 Disraeli Sybil iii. iii, Master Joseph Diggs did nothing but blaspheme and swear at his customers. 1863 Susan Warner Old Helmet xxiii, He swore at them [sc. drives in the park] for the stupidest entertainment man ever pleased himself with. 1891 ‘J. S. Winter’ Lumley iv, This important man, who was probably swearing at fate that he must pass the next two hours [etc.]. |
b. fig. Of colours, etc.: To be violently incongruous or inharmonious with. colloq. (Cf. F. jurer.)
| 1884 Daily News 10 Nov. 3/1 Two tints that swear at each other. 1889 Harper's Mag. Jan. 258/2 What is new in it in the way of art, furniture, or bric-à-brac..may ‘swear’ at the old furniture and the delightful old portraits. |
13. swear by ―. a. To appeal to, or use a formula of appeal to (a divine being or sacred object, or something affectedly or trivially substituted therefor) in swearing; to say ‘by{ddd}’ as a form of oath: cf. by prep., adv. (a., n.1) 2.
to swear by no beggars, swear by no bugs: see beggar n. 1 c, bug n.1 1.
| c 1220 Bestiary 597 He sweren bi ðe rode, bi ðe sunne & bi ðe mone. a 1300 Cursor M. 6847 (Cott.) Bi fals godds suer yee nan. a 1300 Pol. Songs (Camden) 70 Sire Simond de Mountfort hath swore bi ys chyn [etc.]. Ibid., Sire Simond de Montfort hath suore bi ys cop [etc.]. 1340 Ayenb. 45 A knyȝt wes þet zuor be godes eȝen. c 1386 Chaucer Miller's Prol. 17 In Pilates voys he gan to crie And swoor by Armes, and by blood, and bones. 14.. R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) App. K. 3 (MS. β) Þer of we schul awreke beo, I swere be my heued. c 1470 Gol. & Gaw. 1045, I swere be suthfast God, that settis all on sevin! 1599 Shakes. Much Ado iv. i. 278 Bene. By my sword Beatrice thou lou'st me. Beat. Doe not sweare by it and eat it. a 1631 Donne Sat. i. 13 First sweare by thy best love in earnest..Thou wilt not leave mee in the middle street, Though some more spruce companion thou dost meet. 1721 Wodrow Hist. Suff. Ch. Scot. (1838) I. i. iv. 333/2 That to swear by faith, conscience, and the like, were innocent ways of speaking. 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. xxxi. III. 229 They had sworn, by the sacred head of the emperor himself. 1842 Tennyson Godiva 24 He laugh'd, and swore by Peter and by Paul. 1877 ― Harold v. i. 67 The strange Saints By whom thou swarest. |
b. To swear to or be sure of the existence of (cf. 17 b): in phr. enough to swear by, expressing a very slight amount. colloq. or slang.
| 1756 C. Lucas Ess. Waters III. 138 They prescribe them..in some quantity, though it be but enough to swear by. 1884 ‘H. Collingwood’ Under Meteor Flag 40 The two ships touched with a shock which was barely perceptible, just enough in fact to ‘swear by,’ as the gunner remarked. |
c. To accept as an infallible authority; to have absolute confidence in. colloq.
| c 1815 Jane Austen Persuasion vi, I have no very good opinion of Mrs. Charles's nursery-maid... Mrs. Charles quite swears by her. 1864 Yates Broken to Harness x. I. 173 He is always..changing his medical system; now vaunting the virtues of blue-pill, now swearing by homœopathy. 1890 Henty With Lee in Virginia 91 We have a first-rate fellow in command of the cavalry..His fellows swear by him. |
14. swear for ―. To answer for under oath, or with assurance. ? Obs.
| 1579 Gosson Sch. Abuse (Arb.) 60 It is hard to say that all offend, yet I promise you, I wil sweare for none. 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. iv. iv. 155 Ile sweare for 'em. |
15. swear off ―. To abjure, forswear, renounce. (Cf. 22 c.) colloq. or slang.
| 1898 A. F. Leach Beverley Act Bk. (Surtees) I. 315 Ingelram keeps a concubine... Confesses and swears off her. |
16. swear on (or upon) ―. To take an oath, symbolically touching or placing the hand on (a sacred object); † formerly also, to swear by (a deity, etc.) = 13 a: cf. on prep. 1 f.
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xxiii. 18 Quicumque iurauerit in altari, seðe suerias on wiᵹ-bed. c 1205 Lay. 22860 Bringeð þene halidom, And ich wulle swerien þer on. c 1300 Havelok 1077 The king aþelwald me dide swere Vpon al þe messegere Þat [etc.] Ibid. 1082 Þat gart he me sweren on þe bok. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. i. 97 Dauid..Dubbede knihtes, Dude hem swere on hear swerd to serue treuþe euere. c 1400 Destr. Troy 11381 All sweire þai, full swiftly, vpon swete haloues. 1553 Respublica 1131 For my parte, I will sware the gosspell booke vppon. 1610 Shakes. Temp. ii. ii. 130 I'le sweare vpon that Bottle, to be thy true subiect. 1821 J. Baillie Metr. Leg., Lord John xiv, Were I on my father's sword to swear. |
17. swear to ―. a. To promise or undertake with a solemn oath (an act or course of action): cf. 2. Now rare.
| [1028–60 Laws Northumbrian Priests §57 (Liebermann 384/1) Þæt hi hit ᵹegaderian and eft aᵹifan, swa hi durran to swerian.] 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. i. i. 53 Longa. You swore to that Berowne, and to the rest. 1671 H. M. tr. Erasm. Colloq. 401 Even when he had deeply sworn to it. 1710 Prideaux Orig. Tithes v. 275 The English..made all, that reigned over them, to sware to the keeping of them. 1818 Scott Br. Lamm. xx, I have sacrificed to you projects of vengeance long nursed, and sworn to with ceremonies little better than heathen. |
b. To affirm with an oath; to express assurance of the truth of (a statement), or the identity of (a person or thing), by swearing.
| 1601 Shakes. All's Well v. iii. 291 He knowes I am no Maid, and hee'l sweare too 't. a 1718 Prior Better Answer to Chloe Jealous iii, Od's Life! must One swear to the Truth of a Song? 1757 Hume Hist. Gt. Brit. II. iii. 120 The greatest interest could not engage him [sc. a quaker], in any court of judicature, to swear even to the truth. 1802 M. Edgeworth Moral T., Forester xix, Mr. W― held the book to him, and demanded whether he would swear to the person from whom he received the note. 1841 Thackeray Gt. Hoggarty Diam. xii, Mr. Abednego and the two gentlemen from Houndsditch were present to swear to their debts. 1848 G. Wyatt Revelat. an Orderly (1849) 82 They came and swore to having served the dustucks. 1859 H. Kingsley G. Hamlyn v. I. 42 There was something about his toute ensemble..that would have made an Australian policeman swear to him as a convict without the least hesitation. 1908 R. Bagot A. Cuthbert xxiv. 315 You could swear to its authenticity, or the reverse, if necessary? |
18. swear with ―. = sense 12 b. rare.
| 1789 H. Walpole Let. 2 July (1961) XXXI. 306, I do not propose putting your name.., as I think it would swear with the air of ancientry you have adopted in the signature and notes. 1976 C. Oman Oxf. Childhood 101 It was decreed that she must wear a rose-pink robe which swore most horribly with her greatest asset. |
IV. 19. swear away. To take away by swearing; to give evidence on oath so as to destroy or cause the loss of.
| a 1763 W. King Lit. & Polit. Anecd. (1819) 191 Who for a small bribe would swear away any man's life. 1873 Edith Thompson Hist. Eng. xxxv. 172 By him and by others who made a profit of perjury, the lives of many innocent Romanists were sworn away. 1879 Tourgee Fool's Err. xi. 50 What! allow a nigger to testify! allow him to swear away your rights and mine! |
20. swear down. a. To put down or put to silence by swearing. b. To bring or call down by swearing.
| [c 1386 Chaucer Miller's T. 659 With othes grete he was so sworn adoun That he was holde wood.] 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. v. i. 227 There did this periur'd Goldsmith sweare me downe. 1603 ― Meas. for M. v. i. 243 Though they would swear downe each particular Saint. |
21. swear in. To admit or induct into an office by administering a prescribed oath.
| a 1700 Evelyn Diary 15 Oct. 1673, To Council, and swore in Mr. Locke, secretary. 1768 Gray in Corr. w. Nicholls (1843) 80 As soon as I have been sworn in, and subscribed. 1828 Ellenborough Diary (1881) I. 8 Went to the Cottage to be sworn in as a Privy Councillor and Lord Privy Seal. 1857 G. A. Lawrence Guy Liv. iv, The municipal authorities..swore in no end of specials as a reserve. 1891 Times (weekly ed.) 16 Aug. 641/3 The process of swearing-in the members of the Lower-House began. |
22. swear off. † a. To resign one's office. Obs. b. To get rid of or pass off on somebody with an oath or asseveration. c. To abjure something, esp. intoxicating drink (cf. 15). More recently, with obj. expressed. Chiefly U.S.
| 1698 Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) IV. 414 This day Mr. Howard, wine cowper, was chose sherif of London, in room of Mr. Moor that swore off. 1737 Bracken Farriery Impr. (1757) II. 14 They..make nothing of turning any common Cart-Horse to the Road,..and swear him off to their best Friend for an excellent Hunter. 1839 Spirit of Times 16 Nov. 434/1 Like swearing off from liquor and going into a grog-shop. 1853 Mrs. Stowe Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin 91/2 Well, after all, I suppose, Mr. Legree, you wouldn't have any objections to swarin' off? 1896 Spectator 15 Feb. 235 Just as a man who has ‘sworn off,’ for a long time, loses the desire for drink. 1922 ‘Mark Twain’ in Harper's Mag. Mar. 457/1, I..swore off my taxes like the most conscienceless of the lot. 1960 R. St. John Foreign Correspondent v. 88 He became a newspaper reporter and swore off personal involvement in politics, at least for the time. |
23. swear out. † a. To utter a solemn charge or challenge in regard to. Also absol. Obs.
| a 1440 Sir Eglam. 1249 Harowdes of armes swore owt than, ‘Yf ther be ony gentylman, To make hys body gode.’ 1575 Gascoigne Glasse Govt. i. v, If any gentleman offer you the least parte of injury, Dicke must be sent for to sweare out the matter. |
† b. To forswear, abjure. Obs.
| 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. ii. i. 104, I heare your grace hath sworne out Housekeeping. |
c. To turn out or expel by an oath.
| c 1665 Mrs. Hutchinson Mem. Col. Hutch. (1846) 393 The colonel, thinking it a ridiculous thing to swear out a man..when they had no power to defend themselves against him. |
d. To obtain the issue of (a warrant for arrest) by making a charge upon oath. U.S.
| 1898 Hamblen Gen. Manager's Story xv. 236 The president [of the railroad]..swore out warrants for the arrest of all the members of the committee. 1912 Times 19 Oct. 5/6 The warrant was ‘sworn out’ by the girl's mother at Minneapolis. |
▪ III. swear, sweard
see sweer a., sward n.