▪ I. avow, v.1
(aˈvaʊ)
Forms: 2 auouh(en, 3 awou, 3–7 au- avowe, 5 awowe, 5–7 aduow(e, 6– avow.
[a. OF. avoue-r, avoer:—L. advocā-re to call to, call upon; esp. to call in as a defender or patron (cf. advocate): hence, in feudal times, to call upon or own as defender, patron, client, or person in some way related, to acknowledge as ours in some relation; afterwards extended to things. Often semi-latinized to advow in 15–16th c., a corruption which has become permanent in the derivative advowson. Cf. avouch.]
1. trans. To own or acknowledge (a person) as one's own.
(In the first example it may mean literally ‘call to thyself.’)
| c 1220 Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 197 Auouh mine soule hwon ich of þisse liue uare. 1467 Bury Wills (1850) 50, I will..that myn executors avowe hym in his suet. 1580 North Plutarch (1676) 2 His Father knew him, and avowed him for his Son. 1600 Hakluyt Voy. (1810) III. 176 Not our subiects, nor by vs any way to be advowed. 1619 Visct. Doncaster in Eng. & Germ. (Camd. 1865) 147 Giving me commission to say what I would..wherein he promised to avow me. |
† 2. refl. to avow (oneself) on or upon: to put oneself under the protection or patronage of, to claim the authority of, to affiliate oneself upon. Obs.
| 1577 Holinshed Chron. III. 900/2 Certeine aduowing themselues on you, haue assailed and taken by force the citie of Rome. 1602 Carew Cornwall 135 b, Our Foy Gallants..auowing themselves vpon the Earle of Warwicke. |
† 3. trans. To own (the deeds of an agent); to sanction, approve. Obs.
| 1530 Palsgr., 418/1, I advowe or make good, Jaduoue..What so euer he promyse in my name I wyll advowe it. 1628 T. Spencer Logick 3 We have the frequent vse of learned men to avow it. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xviii. 90 Be contented to avow all the actions he shall do. |
4. trans. To declare (as a thing one can vouch for); to affirm, maintain (a thing which others might deny). Const. simple obj., subord. clause, absol. Obs. or arch., but surviving in some uses of vow.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 7307 For-soth i sai, and sal a-wou, Ful sare yee sal repent yow. 1393 Gower Conf. III. 191 Tullius his tale avoweth And saith. 1476 Sir John Paston in Lett. 778 III. 164 [They] offryd to afferme and advowe my tytell for goode. 1533 More Debell. Salem Wks. 992/1 Ryghte worshipful folk, that before me aduowed it in hys face. 1596 Danett Commines' Hist. Fr. (1614) 339 De Clerieux..aduowed his report to be true for them both. 1611 Bible Pref. 8 Wee affirme and auow that the very meanest translation of the Bible in English..containeth the word of God. 1759 Franklin Ess. Wks. 1840 III. 272 Avowing proprietary and deputy-government reasons for such his refusal. 1805 Scott Last Minstr. i. xi, As bards avow. |
† b. To vouch for, guarantee. Obs.
| 1530 Palsgr. 441/2, I avowe, I warrant or make good, or upholde as in marchaundyse or such lyke..Take this clothe of my worde, I avowe it for good. |
5. trans. To own, acknowledge, admit, or confess (facts, statements, or opinions, that one might himself conceal or deny). Const. as in 4.
| 1330 R. Brunne Chron. 320 If he wille avowe alle his wikked sawe. c 1386 Chaucer Can. Yeom. Prol. & T. 89, I wol nought avowe what I say, And therfor kep it secré I yow pray. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 19 A-vowyn, or stonde by the forsayde worde or dede, Advoco. 1460 J. Capgrave Chron. 182 Sche accused a certeyn knyte, whech cam to the Kyng and avowid every word. 1659 Gentl. Call. ix. §3 This little tract..must avow to come upon that uncivil yet friendly errand. 1667 Dryden Ann. Mirab. 545 As when fiends did miracles avow, He stands confess'd e'en by the boastful Dutch. 1778 Johnson in Boswell (1816) III. 294 Many a man thinks, what he is ashamed to avow. 1855 Prescott Philip II, I. ii. viii. 235 The boldness with which he avowed his opinions. |
6. refl. and pass. To confess one's identity, declare oneself.
| 1465 Paston Lett. 533 II. 249 William Nawton is here with me, but he dare not ben avowyd. 1621 Molle Camerar. Liv. Libr. i. vi. 16, I affirme and auow myselfe, that I am Liege-man..of Ferdinand. 1769 Sir W. Draper in Junius Lett. xxiv. 114 Avow yourself, and prove the charge. 1837 S. R. Maitland 12 Lett. (1841) 81 The gentlemen who have avowed themselves as the instigators of the new edition. |
7. Law. To justify or maintain (an act done, spec. a distress, for rent taken in one's own right).
| 1528 Perkins Profit. Bk. ii. §122 If in a Replevin the defendant avow for a Rent charg in another place. 1540 Act 32 Hen. VIII, ii. §9 The next heire..shall haue..liberty..to sue demaunde, aduowe, declare, or make, the sayd titles, claymes, prescriptions. 1617 Minsheu s.v. Avowrie, He that took the Distresse, justifying or maintaining the act, is said to auow, and that is called his Auowrie. 1809 Tomlins Law Dict. s.v. Avowry, Where tenant in tail aliens in fee, the donor may avow upon him. |
▪ II. † avow, v.2 Obs.
(əˈvaʊ)
Forms: 4–7 avow(e, ? also 6 aduowe.
[a. ? OF. avoue-r, avoer (Palsgr. aduouer), f. à to + vouer:—late Lat. vōtāre (cf. Pr. vodar, and cl.L. dē-vōt-āre), freq. of vovē-re, vōt-um, to vow. Already in OF. the two vbs. avouer were confounded; Littré has only that from advocāre.]
1. trans. To put (one) to a vow or oath, to bind with a vow (to some act, to do something).
| 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 7647 Þese lordynges, Þat avowe here men to do swych þynges. 1382 Wyclif Acts xxiii. 14 With deuocioun we han avowid vs to no thing tastinge, til we slen Poul. [Vulg. devotione devovimus nos nihil gustaturos.] |
2. To devote, consecrate, dedicate by a vow (a person or thing to God, or to some solemn purpose).
| 1382 Wyclif Lev. xxvii. 16 If the feelde..he auowe [Vulg. voverit] & halowe to the Lord. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 107 To avowe her children vnto God and holy chirche. 1533 Bellendene Livy i. 49 Tullus..avowit xii preistis..to be perpetualy dedicate to Mars. 1583 A. Conham in Babington's Commandm. To Reader***b, Hee..as it were aduowed himselfe a man to the Lord, to serve in his Tabernacle. |
3. intr. (from refl.) To bind oneself by a vow, to take a vow (to an act or to do something).
| c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. C. 333, I dewoutly awowe þat veray betz halden Soberly to do þe sacrafyse. 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour C. iij b, She..repentyd her and auowed to many pylgremages. 1531 Dial. Laws Eng. ii. liv. (1638) 164 If a man avow never to eat white meat. 1603 H. Crosse Vertues Commw. (1878) 13 The three Romans..who for the safe⁓guard of their Countrey auowed to dye. |
b. absol. or with subord. clause. To make a vow.
| c 1400 Melayne 733, I a-vowe to mylde marie..I sall noghte leve the soo. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 19 Auowyn, or to make auowe, Voveo. 1493 Festyvall (W. de W. 1515) 93 He that hath avowed or ioyned in penaunce must fast the even. 1594 R. Parsons Confer. Success. i. v. 109, I do promisse and auow to euery one of you..that I wil kepe, etc. |
4. trans. a. with cogn. obj. To vow.
| 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. viii. 13 Ich haue a-vowed vowes fourty · and for-ȝut hem a morwe. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 285/3 Auowe ye vowes and yelde them to god. |
b. with ordinary obj.: To vow to give, keep, observe, do; to promise or undertake with a vow.
| c 1374 Chaucer Anel. & Arc. 355 And unto Mars avoyth sacrifice. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 11 Than she avowed chastite. 1539 Act 31 Hen. VIII, vi, Suche as haue auowed religion. 1601 R. Johnson Kingd. & Commw. 218 Auowing continual war against the Abessine Christians. |
▪ III. avow, n.1 arch.
(əˈvaʊ)
Forms: 4–5 avou, avowe, 5 auough, 6 advow, 7– avow.
[f. avow v.2, on analogy of vow v. and n.
(In OF. the two verbs avouer seem to have been quite identified (cf. alouer allow). The n. aveu, whose form is best explained by comparing it with veu, vœu:—L. vōtum, seems to belong in sense to avouer:—advocāre; whereas the Eng. n. avow was in early times used only in sense of avow v.2:—*advōtāre. The connexion of the Eng. with the Fr. n. is thus rendered doubtful.)]
1. A vow, a solemn promise made to a deity, etc.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 10203 For-þi to godd a-vou þai gaf. 1330 R. Brunne Chron. 112 He brak his avowe, þat he to God had suorn. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 19 A-vowe, votum. c 1465 Chevy Chase 1 The perse owt off northombarlonde an avowe to god mayd he. 1493 Petronylla (Pynson) 24 In hir auough made unto chastyte. 1493 Festyvall (W. de W. 1515) 79 Four cursyd knyghtes..made theyr avowe togider to sle Thomas. 1531 Dial. Laws Eng. ii. xxii. (1638) 103 There is a promise that is called an Advow. 1655 Jennings Elise 74, I could not address my avows to a more accomplished subject. 1828 Scott F. M. Perth III. 45 I make mine avow, by the Red Rover's soul! that he shall eat his writ. |
† 2. A thing vowed; a votive offering. Obs.
| 1388 Wyclif Acts xxiv. 17 To do almes dedis to my folc, and offryngis, and auowis. c 1400 Mandeville ix. 105 Ther thei ȝolden up here avowes. |
▪ IV. † aˈvow, n.2 Obs. rare—1.
[subst. use of avow v.1]
Avowal, sanction.
| 1697 Dryden Virgil (1806) IV. 234 What, without thy knowledge and avow, Nay more, thy dictate, durst Juturna do? |