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swear

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swear

  [swair] verb, swore or (Archaic) sware; sworn; swear⋅ing.
Use swear in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to make a solemn declaration or affirmation by some sacred being or object, as a deity or the Bible.
2. to bind oneself by oath.
3. to give evidence or make a statement on oath.
4. to use profane oaths or language: Don't swear in front of the children.
–verb (used with object)
5. to declare, affirm, attest, etc., by swearing by a deity, some sacred object, etc.
6. to affirm, assert, or say with solemn earnestness.
7. to promise or undertake on oath or in a solemn manner; vow.
8. to testify or state on oath: He swore it on the witness stand.
9. to take (an oath), as in order to give solemnity or force to a declaration, promise, etc.
10. to bind by an oath: to swear someone to secrecy.
—Verb phrases
11. swear by,
a. to name (a sacred being or thing) as one's witness or guarantee in swearing.
b. Informal. to have great confidence in; rely on: He swears by his dentist.
c. to have certain knowledge of: I thought I saw him leaving, but I couldn't swear by it.
12. swear in, to admit to office or service by administering an oath: A new president will be sworn in today.
13. swear off, to promise or resolve to give up something, esp. intoxicating beverages.
14. swear out, to secure (a warrant for arrest) by making an accusation under oath.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME sweren, OE swerian; c. G schwören, ON sverja; akin to Goth swaran to swear; see answer

Related forms:
swearer, noun
swear⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. declare, affirm, avow. 3. depose, testify. 4. imprecate. See curse.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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swear   (swâr)   
v.   swore (swôr, swōr), sworn (swôrn, swōrn), swear·ing, swears

v.   intr.

  1. To make a solemn declaration, invoking a deity or a sacred person or thing, in confirmation of and witness to the honesty or truth of such a declaration.

  2. To make a solemn promise; vow.

  3. To use profane oaths; curse.

  4. Law To give evidence or testimony under oath.

v.   tr.

  1. To declare or affirm solemnly by invoking a deity or a sacred person or thing.

  2. To promise or pledge with a solemn oath; vow: He swore his oath of allegiance to the queen. See Synonyms at promise.

  3. To utter or bind oneself to (an oath).

  4. Law To administer a legal oath to: All the witnesses have been sworn.

  5. To say or affirm earnestly and with great conviction.

n.  A swearword.
Phrasal Verb(s):
swear atTo use abusive, violent, or blasphemous language against; curse.
swear by

  1. To have great reliance on or confidence in: He swears by his personal physician.

  2. To have reliable knowledge of; be sure of: I think she left early, but I couldn't swear by it.

  3. To take an oath by: He swore by all the angels and saints of heaven.

swear inTo administer a legal or official oath to: swear in a mayor.
swear off Informal To pledge to renounce or give up: She has sworn off cigarettes.
swear out Law To obtain (a warrant for arrest) by making a charge under oath.

[Middle English sweren, from Old English swerian; see swer- in Indo-European roots.]
swear'er n.
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

swear 
O.E. swerian "take an oath" (class VI strong verb; past tense swor, pp. sworen), from P.Gmc. *swarjanan, from root *swar- (cf. O.S. swerian, O.N. sverja, Dan. sverge, O.Fris. swera, M.Du. swaren, O.H.G. swerien, Ger. schwören, Goth. swaren "to swear"), from PIE base *swer- "to speak, say" (cf. O.C.S. svara "quarrel"). Also related to the second element in answer. The secondary sense of "use bad language" (c.1430) developed from the notion of "invoke sacred names." Swear-word is Amer.Eng. colloquial from 1883. Swear off "desist as with a vow" is from 1898.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: swear
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: swore; sworn; swear·ing
Etymology: Old English swerian
transitive verb 1 : to utter or take solemnly <swear an oath>
2 a : to assert as true or promise under oath sworn affidavit> b : to assert or promise emphatically or earnestly <swore to uphold the constitution>
3 a : to put to an oath b : to bind by an oath intransitive verb : to take an oath
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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