betroth
English
Etymology
From Middle English bitreuthien, from treuthe (“truth”). Equivalent to be- + troth.
Pronunciation
- (US) IPA(key): /bəˈtɹoʊð/
- Rhymes: -əʊð
Verb
betroth (third-person singular simple present betroths, present participle betrothing, simple past and past participle betrothed)
- To promise to give in marriage.
- He betrothed his daughter to a distant relative.
- 1885 — Gilbert & Sullivan, The Mikado
- We loved each other at once, but she was betrothed to her guardian Ko-Ko, a cheap tailor.
- To promise to take (as a future spouse); to plight one's troth to.
- Bible, Deuteronomy
- What man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her?
- Bible, Deuteronomy
Derived terms
Translations
to promise to give in marriage
|
to promise to take as a future spouse
This article is issued from
Wiktionary.
The text is licensed under Creative
Commons - Attribution - Sharealike.
Additional terms may apply for the media files.