oath

[ ohth ]
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noun,plural oaths [ohthz, ohths]. /oʊðz, oʊθs/.
  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.

  1. a formally affirmed statement or promise accepted as an equivalent of an appeal to a deity or to a revered person or thing; affirmation.

  2. the form of words in which such a statement or promise is made.

  3. an irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God or anything sacred.

  4. any profane expression; curse; swear word: He slammed the door with a muttered oath.

Idioms about oath

  1. take an oath, to swear solemnly; vow.

Origin of oath

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English oth, Old English āth; cognate with Gothic aiths, Old Norse eidhr, German Eid

Other words for oath

Words that may be confused with oath

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How to use oath in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for oath

oath

/ (əʊθ) /


nounplural oaths (əʊðz)
  1. a solemn pronouncement to affirm the truth of a statement or to pledge a person to some course of action, often involving a sacred being or object as witness: Related adjective: juratory

  2. the form of such a pronouncement

  1. an irreverent or blasphemous expression, esp one involving the name of a deity; curse

  2. on oath, upon oath or under oath

    • under the obligation of an oath

    • law having sworn to tell the truth, usually with one's hand on the Bible

  3. take an oath to declare formally with an oath or pledge, esp before giving evidence

Origin of oath

1
Old English āth; related to Old Saxon, Old Frisian ēth, Old High German eid

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012