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oath

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oath

  [ohth]
Use oath in a Sentence
–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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Computing Dictionary

OATH
Object-oriented Abstract Type Hierarchy, a class library for C++ from Texas Instruments.

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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Bible Dictionary

Oath

a solemn appeal to God, permitted on fitting occasions (Deut. 6:13; Jer. 4:2), in various forms (Gen. 16:5; 2 Sam. 12:5; Ruth 1:17; Hos. 4:15; Rom. 1:9), and taken in different ways (Gen. 14:22; 24:2; 2 Chr. 6:22). God is represented as taking an oath (Heb. 6:16-18), so also Christ (Matt. 26:64), and Paul (Rom. 9:1; Gal. 1:20; Phil. 1:8). The precept, "Swear not at all," refers probably to ordinary conversation between man and man (Matt. 5:34,37). But if the words are taken as referring to oaths, then their intention may have been to show "that the proper state of Christians is to require no oaths; that when evil is expelled from among them every yea and nay will be as decisive as an oath, every promise as binding as a vow."

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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Encyclopedia

oath

sacred or solemn voluntary promise usually involving the penalty of divine retribution for intentional falsity and often used in legal procedures. It is not certain that the oath was always considered a religious act; such ancient peoples as the Germanic tribes, Greeks, Romans, and Scythians swore by their swords or other weapons. These peoples, however, were actually invoking a symbol of the power of a war god as a guarantee of their trustworthiness.

Learn more about oath with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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