espouse

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: es=pouse

CIDE DICTIONARY

espouse, v. t. [OF. espouser, esposer, F. épouser, L. sponsare to betroth, espouse, fr. sponsus betrothed, p. p. of spondere to promise solemnly or sacredly. Cf. Spouse.].

•  To betroth; to promise in marriage; to give as spouse.  [1913 Webster]

  "A virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph."  [1913 Webster]
•  To take as spouse; to take to wife; to marry.  [1913 Webster]

  "Lavinia will I make my empress, . . .
  And in the sacred Pantheon her espouse."  [1913 Webster]
•  To take to one's self with a view to maintain; to make one's own; to take up the cause of; to adopt; to embrace.  Bacon.  [1913 Webster]

  "Promised faithfully to espouse his cause as soon as he got out of the war."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

espouse, v.tr.
1 adopt or support (a cause, doctrine, etc.).
2 archaic a (usu. of a man) marry. b (usu. foll. by to) give (a woman) in marriage.

Derivative

espouser n.

Etymology

ME f. OF espouser f. L sponsare f. sponsus past part. of spondere betroth

THESAURUS

espouse

accept, adopt, advocate, affiliate, allege in support, answer, approve, argue for, assert, back, be made one, be spliced, become one, campaign for, carry, catch, champion, contend for, contract matrimony, counter, couple, crusade for, defend, embrace, get hitched, go in for, intermarry, interwed, maintain, make a plea, marry, mate, miscegenate, pair off, pass, plead for, ratify, rebut, refute, remarry, reply, respond, rewed, riposte, say in defense, speak for, speak up for, stand up for, stick up for, support, sustain, take on, take to wife, take up, uphold, urge reasons for, wed, wive

ROGET THESAURUS

espouse

Choice

VB offers one's choice, set before, hold out the alternative, present the alternative, offer the alternative, put to the vote, use option, use discretion, exercise option, exercise discretion, one's option, adopt, take up, embrace, espouse, choose, elect, opt for, take one's choice, make one's choice, make choice of, fix upon, vote, poll, hold up one's hand, divide, settle, decide, list, make up one's mind, select, pick and choose, pick out, single out, cull, glean, winnow, sift the chaff from the wheat, separate the chaff from the wheat, winnow the chaff from the wheat, pick up, pitch upon, pick one's way, indulge one's fancy, set apart, mark out for, mark, prefer, have rather, have as lief, fancy, be persuaded, take a decided step, take a decisive step, commit oneself to a course, pass the Rubicon, cross the Rubicon, cast in one's lot with, take for better or for worse.

Marriage

VB marry, wive, take to oneself a wife, be married, be spliced, go off, pair off, wed, espouse, get hitched, lead to the hymeneal altar, take 'for better for worse', give one's hand to, bestow one's hand upon, marry, join, handfast, couple, tie the nuptial knot, give away, give away in marriage, seal, ally, affiance, betroth, publish the banns, bid the banns, be asked in church.