Adjacent Words

Vow definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

VOW, n.
1. A solemn promisemade to God, or by a pagan to his deity. The Roman generals when they went to war, sometimes made a vow that they would build a temple to some favorite deity, if he would give them victory. A vow is a promise of something to be given or done hereafter.
A person is constituted a religious by taking three vows, of chastity, of poverty, and of obedience. Among the Isrealites, the vows of children were not binding, unless ratified by the express or tacit consent of their father. Numbers 30.
2. A solemn promise; as the vows of unchangeable love and fidelity. In a moral and religious sense, vows are promises to God, as they appeal to God to witness their sincerity, and the violation of them is a most heinous offense.
VOW, v.t.
1. To give, consecrate or dedicate to God by a solemn promise. When Jacob went to Mesopotamia, he vowed to God a tenth of this substance, and his own future devotion to his service. Genesis 28.
When thou vowest a vow, defer not to pay it. Ecclesiastes 5.
2. To devote.
VOW, v.i. To make vows or solemn promises. He that vows, must be careful to perform.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a solemn pledge (to oneself or to another or to a deity) to do something or to behave in a certain manner; "they took vows of poverty" v
1: make a vow; promise; "He vowed never to drink alcohol again"
2: dedicate to a deity by a vow [syn: vow, consecrate]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English vowe, from Anglo-French vou, from Latin votum, from neuter of votus, past participle of vov?re to vow; akin to Greek euchesthai to pray, vow, Sanskrit v?ghat sacrificer Date: 13th century a solemn promise or assertion; specifically one by which a person is bound to an act, service, or condition II. verb Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to promise solemnly ; swear 2. to bind or consecrate by a vow intransitive verb to make a vow • vower noun III. transitive verb Etymology: Middle English, short for avowen Date: 14th century avow, declare

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 Relig. a solemn promise esp. in the form of an oath to God or another deity or to a saint. 2 (in pl.) the promises by which a monk or nun is bound to poverty, chastity, and obedience. 3 a promise of fidelity (lovers' vows; marriage vows). 4 (usu. as baptismal vows) the promises given at baptism by the baptized person or by sponsors. --v.tr. 1 promise solemnly (vowed obedience). 2 dedicate to a deity. 3 (also absol.) archaic declare solemnly. Phrases and idioms: under a vow having made a vow. Etymology: ME f. AF v(o)u, OF vo(u), f. L (as VOTE): (v.) f. OF vouer, in sense 2 partly f. AVOW

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Vow Vow, v. i. To make a vow, or solemn promise. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. --Eccl. v. 5.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Vow Vow, n. [OE. vou, OF. vou, veu, vo, vu, F. v?u, from L. votum, from vovere, to vow. Cf. Avow, Devout, Vote.] 1. A solemn promise made to God, or to some deity; an act by which one consecrates or devotes himself, absolutely or conditionally, wholly or in part, for a longer or shorter time, to some act, service, or condition; a devotion of one's possessions; as, a baptismal vow; a vow of poverty. ``Nothing . . . that may . . . stain my vow of Nazarite.'' --Milton. I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow. --2 Sam. xv. 7. I am combined by a sacred vow. --Shak. 2. Specifically, a promise of fidelity; a pledge of love or affection; as, the marriage vow. Knights of love, who never broke their vow; Firm to their plighted faith. --Dryden.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Vow Vow, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Vowing.] [OE. vouen, OF. vouer, voer, F. vouer, LL. votare. See Vow, n.] 1. To give, consecrate, or dedicate to God, or to some deity, by a solemn promise; to devote; to promise solemnly. ``When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it.'' --Eccl. v. 4. [Men] that vow a long and weary pilgrimage. --Shak. 2. To assert solemnly; to asseverate.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(vows, vowing, vowed) 1. If you vow to do something, you make a serious promise or decision that you will do it. While many models vow to go back to college, few do... I solemnly vowed that someday I would return to live in Europe... 'I'll kill him,' she vowed... They have vowed a quick and decisive response. VERB: V to-inf, V that, V with quote, V n 2. A vow is a serious promise or decision to do a particular thing. I made a silent vow to be more careful in the future... N-COUNT: oft N to-inf, N that 3. Vows are a particular set of serious promises, such as the promises two people make when they are getting married. He had broken his vow of poverty. N-COUNT: usu pl, with supp

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

vou (nedher; euche; 'iccar, found only in Nu 30:6,8,10 and translated horismos, by the Septuagint: A vow could be positive (nedher) and included all promises to perform certain things for, or bring certain offerings to, God, in return for certain benefits which were hoped for at His hand (Ge 28:20-22, Jacob; Le 27:2,8; Nu 30; Jud 11:30, Jephthah; 1Sa 1:11, Hannah; 2Sa 15:8, Absalom; Jon 1:16, vows of heathen); or negative ('iccar), and included promises by which a person bound himself or herself to abstain from certain things (Nu 30:3). Nowhere in the Old Testament do we find the making of vows regarded as a religious duty (De 23:22), but the fulfilling of a vow was considered as a sacred and binding duty (De 23:21-23; Jud 11:35; Ec 5:4; compare Ps 22:25; 66:13; 76:11; 116:18). A vow was as binding as an oath (see OATH) and therefore to be kept to the letter; and it was not to be lightly made (Pr 20:25). A father could veto a daughter's vow, and a husband a wife's. If a husband did not veto a wife's vow, and then caused her to break it, the sin was his and not hers (Nu 30, passim). It seems that vows were considered binding only when actually uttered (De 23:23). Persons, including one's self, animals, land and other possessions, could be vowed, but all these could be redeemed with money (see JEPHTHAH), which money was to be estimated by the priest, except in the case of a clean animal. In the case of land, houses and unclean animals a fifth part of the estimated value was to be added to make up the redemption money. In the case of land the sum was greater or smaller as the coming year of Jubilee was far off or near (Le 27, passim). Nothing which was by nature holy could be made the object of a vow, e.g. firstlings, tithes, etc. (Le 27:26,28,30); and, on the other hand, an abomination, e.g. the hire of a prostitute, could not be made the object of a vow (De 23:18). In Mal 1:14 the offering of what was of less value than what had been vowed is vigorously condemned.

In the New Testament Jesus refers to vows only to condemn the abuse of them (Mt 15:4-6; Mr 7:10-13; compare Talmud, Nedharim, and see CORBAN). In Ac 18:18 (compare Ac 21:23,24) Paul desires to show his Jewish brethren that he is willing to keep the forms of Jewish piety so long as they do not clash with his Christian conscience (compare 1Co 9:21). For the vow of the Nazirite, see NAZIRITE.

Paul Levertoff

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Promise (solemnly made), pledge. 2. Promise of fidelity, pledge of love. II. v. a. 1. Consecrate, dedicate, devote. 2. Assert solemnly, asseverate. III. v. n. Promise (solemnly), pledge one's word.

Moby Thesaurus

Bible oath, affirm, and candle, assert, assert under oath, asseverate, assurance, assure, attest, avouch, avouchment, avow, book, certify, confess, countersign, covenant, declare, depone, depose, express the belief, extrajudicial oath, faith, guarantee, ironclad oath, judicial oath, kiss the book, loyalty oath, make a promise, oath, oath of allegiance, oath of office, official oath, parole, pledge, plight, profess, promise, solemn declaration, solemn oath, state, swan, swear, swear by bell, swear the truth, swear to, swear to God, swear to goodness, test oath, testify, troth, underwrite, vouch, warrant, warranty, word, word of honor