a solemn or earnest pledge or promise binding the person making it to perform a specified act or behave in a certain way
2.
a solemn promise made to a deity or saint, by which the promiser pledges himself to some future act, course of action, or way of life
3.
take vows to enter a religious order and commit oneself to its rule of life by the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, which may be taken for a limited period as simple vows or as a perpetual and still more solemn commitment as solemn vows
—vb
4.
(tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to pledge, promise, or undertake solemnly: he vowed that he would continue; he vowed to return
5.
(tr) to dedicate or consecrate to God, a deity, or a saint
6.
(tr; usually takes a clause as object) to assert or swear emphatically
7.
archaic (intr) to declare solemnly
[C13: from Old French vou, from Latin vōtum a solemn promise, from vovēre to vow]
c.1300, from Anglo-Fr. and O.Fr. vou, from L. votum "a vow, wish, promise, dedication," noun use of neut. of votus, pp. of vovere "to promise solemnly, pledge, dedicate, vow," from PIE base *ewegwh- "to speak solemnly, vow" (cf. Skt. vaghat- "one who offers a sacrifice;" Gk. eukhe "vow, wish," eukhomai
"I pray"). The verb is attested from c.1300, from O.Fr. vouer.