Forms: 4–6 vowe (4 vouw-, 5 vowyn), 4– vow (5–6 Sc. wow); 4 vou, wou, 5–7 Sc. wou-. [ad. OF. vouer, vower (F. vouer), f. vou VOW sb.]
1. trans. To promise or undertake solemnly, spec. by a vow to a deity or saint; to swear: a. With subordinate clause (or equivalent).
The subject of the subordinate clause may be different from that of the verb itself.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 10603. Þai yald hir to þe temple þan, Als þai voud had be-forn þat sco was of hir moder born.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 182. I vowe to Saynt Michael … Þat for wo ne wele hiþen ne salle I fare … tille þe castelle be taken.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 144. That veine gloire I schal eschuie, And bowe unto thin heste and suie Humilite, and that I vowe.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, VIII. 47. I wow to God,… he sall nocht be In to this realme, bot ane off ws sall de.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 418. Gif tha wald nocht, he vowit tha sould haif Siclike reward as he gaif all the laif.
c. 1570. Satir. Poems Reform., xiv. 88. I wow to the … Thay sall not mys ane riche rewaird.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., IV. i. 442. She made me vow That I should neither sell, nor giue, nor lose it.
1785. Burns, Ep to J. Lapraik, 21 April, vi. Quoth I, ‘Before I sleep a wink, I vow I’ll close it.’
1838. Arnold, Hist. Rome, vii. I. 118. Aulus … vowed that he would raise a temple to Castor and to Pollux,… if they would aid him to win the battle.
1859. Tennyson, Enid, 787. I vow’d that could I gain her, our fair Queen … should make your Enid burst Sunlike from cloud.
b. With infinitive.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 2804. Ȝyf þou vowe to do foly … God wyl nat þou hold yt so Þat þou þy vowe yn wykkednes do.
14[?]. Langland’s P. Pl., B. V. 388 (Oriel MS.). Þanne gan gloton grete, and greet deel made…, And vowede to faste.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lxii. 19. To that conditioun … That ȝe had vowit to the Swan, Ane ȝeir to be Johne Thomsounis man.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., II. 13. To God he had vowit, with ane armie to jnvade the Saracenis gif he had lyfe.
1609. Dekker, Gull’s Horn-bk., Proem. 2. I defie your perfumd scorne: and vow to poyson your Muske cats, if their ciuet excrement doe but once play with my nose.
1641. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. I. 78. Quhilk dyett [of parliament] the Kinge hes woued to keepe except siknesse or deathe previne it.
1653. Jer. Taylor, Serm. for Year, I. xiv. 189. He that vows never to have an ill thought, never to commit an error, hath taken a course [etc.].
a. 1768. Secker, Lect., xx. (1769), I. 328. Vowing to do what there is no Use in doing, is trifling with our Creator.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, iii. He secretly vowed to defend her fame and protect her peace at the sacrifice of every other consideration.
1849. G. P. R. James, Woodman, ii. I do not recollect having vowed not to tell any secular persons.
1891. Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, xli. Some Greek … named Hippolytus, who had vowed to live a virgin life for Diana.
c. With direct object.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 2825. Eueyl he vowed, and swore hys oth, Þer-for with hym ys now god wroth.
a. 1500. Ratis Raving, etc., 575. He … bydis man kep weill gif he ocht wowis.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 1. Lyfe … is as a pilgrymage, whiche we vowe and promesse in our baptym.
1599. Weever, Epigr., IV. xxii. E vj. Their sugred tongues … Say they are Saints … For thousands vowes to them subjectiue dutie.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., VII. ii. 285/1. Such as hauing vowed their voiage and seruice for Ierusalem, wore … vpon their backes a red Crosse.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. xiv. 69. They that Vow any thing contrary to any law of Nature, Vow in vain.
1737. Gentl. Mag., VII. 325/1. With solemn Curses and Imprecations upon themselves and Posterities, who should detract any of the Tythes so vowed and granted.
1753. Challoner, Cath. Chr. Instr., 174. He speaks not of such as have vowed Chastity, but of other Christians.
1791. Cowper, Iliad, XXIII. 247. Then, Peleus’ son … two Winds in prayer … invoked…, to each Vowing large sacrifice.
1819. Scott, Noble Moringer, ii. ’Tis I have vow’d a pilgrimage unto a distant shrine.
1828. Lytton, Pelham, II. xx. I fancied a perfection in her, and vowed an emulation in myself, which it was reserved for Time to ratify or deride.
1848. W. K. Kelly, trans. L. Blanc’s Hist. Ten Y., II. 483. The whole French soul vowed from that moment the capture of Constantina.
d. With cognate object.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, cxxxi. 2. Vow he vowed til god of iacob.
1382. Wyclif, Judges xi. 30. Passynge to the sones of Amon, he vowede a vowe to the Lorde.
1535. Coverdale, Num. vi. 2. To vowe a vowe of abstinence vnto the Lorde.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, IV. ii. 22. ’Tis not the many oathes that makes the truth But the plaine single vow, that is vow’d true.
a. 1616. Beaum. & Fl., Wit Without Money, IV. iv. Vow me no vowes, he that dares do this, has bred himself to boldness, to forswear too.
a. 1711. Ken, Div. Love, Wks. (1838), 274. Whenever I voluntarily vow a vow to thee, give me grace to vow with all the due caution I can.
1808. Scott, Marmion, V. xxvii. For weal of those they love, To pray the prayer, and vow the vow. Ibid. (1829), Anne of G., x. Overwhelming the priests with the wealth which they showered upon them, and, finally, vowing vows, and making pilgrimages.
1867. Tennyson, Holy Grail, 584. Yet we twain Had never kiss’d a kiss, or vow’d a vow.
2. To dedicate, consecrate or devote to some person or service. (Cf. AVOW v.2 2.)
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 98 b. [They] hath vowed all theyr lyues to god and to his holy seruyce.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 66. A tumb to Troytoune and mouldy tempil aneereth Vowed to the godly Ceres.
1596. Danett, trans. Comines (1614), 204. He tooke vpon him his voiage to S. Claude, to whom as you haue heard he was vowed.
1613. R. Harcourt, Voy. to Guiana, 47. Captaine Haruey,… who hath nobly vowed his time and fortune to bee imployed in the prosecution of this honourable action.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, VIII. 796. The first inhabitants, of Grecian blood, That sacred forest to Silvanus vowed.
1725. Pope, Odyss., XI. 25. The victims, vow’d to each Tartarean pow’r, Eurylochus and Perimedes bore.
1813. Scott, Rokeby, IV. xiv. Connanmore, who vowed his race, For ever to the fight and chase.
1843. Wordsw., Inscr. Mon. Crosthwaite Ch., 16. He to heaven was vowed Through his industrious life.
1896. A. Austin, Eng. Darling, I. i. Virgins vowed to Heaven, Virgins as white as is the Yule-tide snow.
transf. 1579. E. K., in Spenser’s Sheph. Cal., June. Argt. This Æglogue is wholly vowed to the complayning of Colins ill successe in his loue.
b. refl. Also const. into.
c. 1500. Melusine, 292. Vryan & Guyon entred in to the see, & vowed themself to Jherusalem.
1581. G. Pettie, trans. Guazzo’s Civ. Conv. (1586), I. 8 b. Manie,… from their statelie pallaces, haue vowed themselues to beggerlie Monasteries.
1592. in J. Morris, Troubles Cath. Forefathers (1877), 38. Mr. Edward James … having vowed himself into the Society [sc. the Jesuits].
1602. Fulbecke, 1st Pt. Parall., 95. They have denied Christ and vowed themselues to the diuell.
1623. Cockeram, III. Decii, three Roman Captaines,… who vowed themselues for their countrie.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 476. Some will lay 20, thirty or forty rubbles into the Caback, vowing themselves to the pot, till the stock be spent.
1826. Scott, Talisman, ix. My safety, my lord,… I cast behind me as a regardless thing when I vowed myself to this enterprise.
† c. To dedicate by a ceremony. Obs.–1
1600. Holland, Livy, etc., 1355. The temple … was called Capitolinum; and Tarquinius Priscus vowed it.
3. To make a solemn resolve or threat to inflict (injury), exact (vengeance), harbor (hatred), etc.
1592. Kyd, Sp. Trag., IV. i. 31. May it be that Bel-imperial Vowes such reuenge as she hath daind to say?
a. 1593. Marlowe & Nashe, Dido, V. ii. Tell him, I never vow’d at Aulis’ Gulf The desolation of his native Troy.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., V. v. 31. Great Achilles Is arming, weeping, cursing, vowing vengeance.
1625. in Foster, Eng. Factories India (1909), III. 105. Thay both then voued reveng if I cam in their power.
1726. Swift, Gulliver, I. v. The Empress … could not forbear vowing revenge.
1839. trans. Lamartine’s Trav. East, 49/1. In spite of the profound hatred which I had vowed to the pacha, I could not embrace the cause of the French.
1912. A. McCormick, Words fr. Wild-Wood, ii. 43. In vain did he protest and vow vengeance upon his rebellious subjects.
4. intr. To make a vow or solemn undertaking; to bind oneself by a vow.
a. 1325. Prose Psalter lxxv[i]. 11. Voweþ and ȝeldeþ to þe Lord, your God, ȝe alle þat bringe ȝiftes in his cumpas.
1382. Wyclif, Prov. xx. 25. Falling is of men ofte to vouwe to seintis, and aftir the vouwis aȝeen drawe.
1560. Bible, Eccl. v. 4. It is better that thou shuldest not vowe, then that thou shuldest vowe and not paye it.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., I. iv. 10. You are yet vnsworne: When you haue vowd, you must not speake with men, But in the presence of the Prioresse.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. xiv. 69. They that Vow any thing contrary to any law of Nature, Vow in vain.
1675. Owen, Indwelling Sin, xvii. (1732), 237. Knowing no other way to mortifie Sin, but this of vowing against it.
c. 1710. in Lady M. W. Montagu’s Lett. (1887), II. 3. I had better not vow, for I shall certainly love you, do what you will.
1782. J. Brown, View Nat. & Rev. Religion, VI. iii. 608. They were capable to vow for themselves.
1812. Crabbe, Tales, vi. 250. She answer’d,… ‘I have not vow’d against the holy state.’
1867. Tennyson, Holy Grail, 270. Because the hall was all in tumult—some Vowing, and some protesting.
