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Oaths

 - 5 dictionary results

oath

  [ohth]
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–noun, plural oaths  [ohthz, ohths] .
1. a solemn appeal to a deity, or to some revered person or thing, to witness one's determination to speak the truth, to keep a promise, etc.: to testify upon oath.
2. a statement or promise strengthened by such an appeal.
3. a formally affirmed statement or promise accepted as an equivalent of an appeal to a deity or to a revered person or thing; affirmation.
4. the form of words in which such a statement or promise is made.
5. an irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God or anything sacred.
6. any profane expression; curse; swearword: He slammed the door with a muttered oath.
—Idiom
7. take an oath, to swear solemnly; vow.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME ooth, OE āth; c. G Eid

Synonyms:
2. vow, pledge. 5. profanity.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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oath   (ōth)   
n.   pl. oaths (ōthz, ōths)

    1. A solemn, formal declaration or promise to fulfill a pledge, often calling on God, a god, or a sacred object as witness.

    2. The words or formula of such a declaration or promise.

    3. Something declared or promised.

  2. An irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God or something held sacred.

  3. An imprecation; a curse.


[Middle English oth, from Old English āth.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

oath 
O.E. að "oath, judicial swearing, solemn appeal to deity in witness of truth or a promise," from P.Gmc. *aithaz (cf. O.N. eiðr, Swed. ed, O.Fris. eth, Du. eed, Ger. eid, Goth. aiþs "oath"), from PIE *oi-to- "an oath" (cf. O.Ir. oeth "oath"). In ref. to careless invocations of divinity, from c.1175.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: oath
Function: noun
1 : a solemn attestation of the truth of one's words or the sincerity of one's intentions; specifically : one accompanied by calling upon a deity as a witness
2 : a promise (as to perform official duties faithfully) corroborated by an oath —compare PERJURY—under oath : under a solemn and esp. legal obligation to tell the truth (as when testifying)
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: oath
—see HIPPOCRATIC OATH
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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