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swearing off

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Swear off
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swear

  [swair] verb, swore or (Archaic) sware; sworn; swear⋅ing.
Use swearing off 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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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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