Obs. Forms: 4–6 au- avaunt(e, 4–7 avant, 6 advant, -uant, -vaunte, (Sc. awant). [a. OF. avante-r, avaunte-r, f. à to, here intensive + vanter:—late L. vānitāre to boast (Augustine), freq. of *vanāre to lie (in Pr. and It.), f. vānus vain, empty. For the form advant see AD- pref. 2. In OF. as in Eng. mostly refl., s’avanter.]
1. trans. To speak boastfully or proudly of: a. To glory in, boast of (an action); b. To speak proudly of, praise, commend (a person).
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 8309. And þat ys nat þe synne leste, Avaunte þy synne to hym þat þou sest.
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 299. Wyth mekyll worschyp they hym avaunt.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 42. Þat nyȝt was Charl[es proude] … & auaunted his kniȝtes olde.
1556. J. Heywood, Spider & F., lxxvi. 10. When he at end (to them) had it a vaunted.
c. with compl. To boast, declare confidently (to be).
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., I. i. 5. Whereto auaunted(e) ȝe me to be weleful.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge (1848), 212. That I may the auaunt A gentill Werburge.
2. refl. To boast, brag, glory, vaunt oneself. Const. of, for.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 4298. His disciples … Sal þam avant, and þam self hald Better of lif.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 585. Prudence had herd hire housbond avaunte him of his richesse.
1547. Homilies, I. III. ii. 28. When a man avaunteth not himself for his own righteousness.
1580. Baret, Alv., A 714. To auaunt himselfe prowdely, Gloriari insolenter.
b. with subord. cl. or inf. phr.
c. 1315. Shoreham, 118. To segge that ich hyt maky can … Dar ich me nauȝt avanty.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Wife’s T., 158. I dar me wel avaunte, Thy lif is sauf.
1483. Caxton, Gold Leg., 28/2. Evyl peple auaunte them to haue don myracles.
1553–87. Foxe, A. & M. (1684), II. 95. He so avanted himself, that he had slain a Lutheran Priest.
3. intr. in sense of 2.
1471. Ripley, Comp. Alch., V. (Ashm. 1652), 154. As they make boste of and avaunte.
1569. J. Sanford, trans. Agrippa’s Van. Artes, 182 b. In this serpente lette him then auaunte, that glorieth in knowledge.
1573. Cooper, Thesaurus, Glorior … to auaunt or boast, to thende to haue praise.
b. with subord. cl. or inf. phr.
1473. Sir J. Paston, in Lett., 722, III. 85. He shall not avaunt that evyr he spake with hym.
1553. Brende, Q. Curtius, VIII. 5. Advauntyng the notable victorye at Cheronese to be his dede.
1576. Gascoigne, Philomene (Arb.), 89. I might aduant Of al his speech to knowe the plaine entent.
