▪ I. avouch, v.
(əˈvaʊtʃ)
Forms: 4–6 au- avouche, 5–7 auouch, -owch, 6–7 advouch, 7 auoch, 5– avouch.
[a. OF. avochier, ad. L. advocāre. In living use advocāre, by regular phonetic change, became in OF. avoer, avouer; but as Latin continued in legal use, and the technical terms became to some extent popularized, advocāre, in its technical senses of ‘call upon as defender, guarantor,’ etc., was subsequently made French, as avochier, avocier, avoker, which thus became to a certain extent a more technical synonym of avoer; so in Eng. with avouch, avow. Cf. vouch.]
I. To appeal or refer for confirmation to some warrant or authority.
† 1. trans. to avouch a thing upon one: to call or cite him as warrant or authority for it; to prove, declare, or state it on his authority. Obs.
| 1393 Gower Conf. I. 295 And that I durst right wel avouche Upon her selfe, as for witnesse. 1494 Fabyan v. civ. 79, I am in dought because of the sayinge of Ranulphe, Monke of Chestre, whiche auowchyth it vpon Wyllyam, wryter of Historyes of Kynges. |
† 2. To certify (an account) by reference to, and comparison with, vouchers. Obs.
| 1540 Househ. Ord. Hen. VIII in Thynne's Animadv. Introd. 35 The Clerkes-Comptrollers to goe with him to take the said Remaines to be advouched with him, what the expence shall rise to. Item..the Booke of Comptrollment..shall be put yearly into the Exchequer, to be advoucht to the Cofferers account. |
† 3. To appeal to, cite, or allege, as warrant, authority, or testimony. Obs.
| 1573 G. Harvey Letter-bk. (1884) 26 Reasuns he usid none against me, but only avouchid and maintainid M. Osburns. 1579 Fulke Heskins's Parl. 220 In none of them can I reade that whiche he aduoucheth out of him. a 1619 M. Fotherby Atheom. i. vi. §2 Making God himselfe a lyer: as auouching of him, as a witnesse vnto their lye. 1628 Coke On Litt. 216 b, For proofe of their opinion they auouch many successions of authorities. a 1718 Penn Life Wks. 1726 I. 42, I shall avouch the Authorities. |
† 4. To establish upon testimony, to prove. Obs.
| 1588 Thynne in Animadv. Introd. 92 Whiche I will sufficiently advouche, yf Instances be called for at my handes. 1596 Spenser State Irel. 490 The certainty of things in times so far from all knowledge, cannot be justly avouched. 1664 Power Exp. Philos. i. 56 Every hair of our head is as a little quill or horn, hollow and transparent. Which seems to be further avouched also by the burning of hair. 1678 R. Barclay Apol. Quakers ii. §10. 43 It is by this Spirit, that they avouch themselves to have been converted to God. |
II. To give one's own warrant or assurance; to guarantee, confirm.
5. intr. To give assurance, guarantee, vouch.
| 1532 Hen. VIII in Burnet Hist. Ref. II. 169 Subscribed with your Holiness's hand, which avouched to confirm the sentence, and not to revoke the commission. 1705 De Foe Mrs. Veal Wks. 1840 V. 341, I can avouch for her reputation. |
6. trans. To vouch to the certainty of, vouch for, guarantee.
| 1548 Udall Erasm. Par. Pref. 5 Voices avouched to haue come from heauen. a 1626 Bacon Max. & Uses Com. Law (1635) 63 The seller must bring one to avouch his sale. 1649 Milton Eikon. xxviii. 520 Ambrose avouch'd it for the Law of God. 1754 Mackenzie in Phil. Trans. XLVIII. 820 There are bad accounts from Nicomedia, but none well avouched. 1868 Milman St. Paul's viii. 179 The authority of Erasmus avouches the accomplished scholarship of Pace. 1876 E. Mellor Priesth. iv. 175 A miracle avouched by the testimony of those who drank the wine. |
III. To declare as a thing for which one can bring vouchers.
7. To declare as a thing one can prove, or upon which one offers his own express testimony as a personal witness; to affirm, assert. Now strictly of matters of fact upon which one can give first-hand evidence, formerly also of matters of inference or opinion, on which one might speak with ‘authority.’
| 1494 Fabyan vii. ccxxiii. 249 More ouer he avouched, that y⊇ see of Lyncoln belonged to the see of Yorke. 1562 Grindal Let. Wks. 1843, 253, I pray you let me understand, whether it may be certainly avouched that the king of Navarre..is killed. 1587 Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 383/1 Declared vnto him, that there was a gentleman of qualitie..that would auouch it to his face. 1604 T. Wright Climact. Years 16, I..haue knowne a man, almost with halfe his lungs rotten with a consumption, and yet boldelie auowch that he was strong. 1624 Bedell Lett. vii. 111 Loe how plainly Saint Augustine auoucheth Purgatorie. 1691 Wood Ath. Oxon. II/62, I constantly avouch that what I have writ is the truth. 1821 Byron Juan iii. xxxviii, He did not know (alas! how men will lie!) That a report..Avouch'd his death. 1840 Thackeray Paris Sk.-bk. (1872) 96 Millions again were ready to avouch the exact contrary. 1845 R. Hamilton Pop. Educ. vi. 129 The true principle is avouched. 1852 C. M. Yonge Cameos I. xl. 342 His own deposition, as three Cardinals avouched that he had made it before them. |
b. intr. To state, declare, assert.
| 1577 T. Vautrollier Luther's Ep. Gal. 288 So Paule seemeth to auouch in this place. 1681 J. Collins Glanvill's Sadducism. Pref., As I have heard him earnestly avouch. |
IV. To declare to be one's own, to acknowledge, avow.
8. trans. To acknowledge (or claim) solemnly as one's own: a. a person. arch.
| 1579 Tomson Calvin's Serm. Tim. 320/2 God auoucheth vs and taketh vs for his children. 1600 Hakluyt Voy. (1810) III. 300 Not being our subjects, nor by vs any way to be avouched, maintained, or defended. 1611 Bible Deut. xxvi. 17–18 Thou hast auouched the Lord this day to be thy God..And the Lord hath auouched thee this day to be his peculiar people. 1861 Trench Sev. Ch. Asia 183 He was one of God's hidden ones, but now he is openly avouched. |
† b. a thing. Obs.
| 1597 Morley Introd. Mus. Ded., So wil I not auouch for mine that which by your censure shal be condemned. 1606 Bp. Carleton Tithes v. 26 a, Tithes are euer holy to God..both dedicated to him by man, and aduouched by himselfe. |
9. To acknowledge or take the responsibility of an action: a. To acknowledge, sanction, confirm the act of a subordinate agent. arch.
| a 1553 Udall Royster D. iii. ii, Adde what so ever thou canst..And I will avouche it what so ever it bee. 1577 Holinshed Chron. III. 905/2 He..might speake things that his maister would not auouch. 1597 Daniel Civ. Wares iii. lxxix, He for whom thou dost this villanie..will not avouch thy fact. 1647 J. Sprigge Ang. Rediv. Apol. (1854) 5 That they should..own and avouch them as having been done in their name and by their authority. 1834 Sir H. Taylor Artevelde ii. v. ii. (1849) 254 Dukes and regal potentates, whose power May currently avouch her doubtful deeds. |
b. To acknowledge (any act) as one's own; to admit, confess, own to. arch.
| 1606 L. Bryskett Civ. Life 76 The offences done to men may be auouched before Princes and magistrates in iudgement, as no wrongs, but lawfull acts. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. ix. vi. V. 77 Suppose a poor Lay Catholick..to purchase one of these Rhemish Testaments, he durst not avouch the reading thereof. 1862 Trench Eng. Past & Pr. iii. (ed. 9) 119 Milton in his prose works frequently avouches the peculiar affection to the Italian literature and language which he bore. |
10. To acknowledge (a charge), confess, avow.
| 1649 Milton Eikon. Wks. 1738 I. 391 Under that excuse avouches himself openly the general Patron of most notorious Delinquents. 1825 Scott Betrothed iii, The first time that I have heard one with a beard on his lip avouch himself a coward. 1883 A. Forbes in 19th Cent. Oct. 721 Men..who avouch that they are..plotting for the disruption of the Union. |
V. Combining IV with II.
11. To acknowledge and support or justify; to make good, establish, prove (with).
| 1599 Marlowe Edw. II, v. iv. 2371 And will avouch his saying with the sword. 1700 in Coll. Rec. Penn. I. 604 All which several charges hee is readie to avouch and prove. 1852 C. M. Yonge Cameos II. xiii. 146 Richard..offered to avouch his innocence with his sword. |
▪ II. † aˈvouch, n. arch.
[f. prec. vb.]
Guarantee, assurance.
| 1602 Shakes. Ham. i. i. 57, I might not this beleeue, Without the sensible and true auouch Of mine owne eyes. 1860 J. Kennedy Rob of Bowl xiii. 139 What he recounts..you have his own avouch for. |