oath

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oath

(ōth)

n. pl. oaths (ōthz, ōths)

a. A solemn, formal declaration or promise to fulfill a pledge, often calling on God, a god, or a sacred object as witness.

b. The words or formula of such a declaration or promise.

c. Something declared or promised.

2. An irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God or something held sacred.

3. An imprecation; a curse.

Idioms:

take an oath

To agree to a pledge of truthfulness or faithful performance.

under oath

Under a burden or responsibility to speak truthfully or perform an action faithfully.

[Middle English oth, from Old English āth.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

oath

(əʊθ)

n, pl 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.

2. the form of such a pronouncement

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

4. under the obligation of an oath

5. (Law) law having sworn to tell the truth, usually with one's hand on the Bible

6. (Law) take an oath to declare formally with an oath or pledge, esp before giving evidence

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

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

oath

(oʊθ)

n., pl. oaths (ōtz, ōths).

1. a solemn appeal to a deity or to some revered person or thing to witness one's determination to speak the truth or keep a promise.

2. any statement, promise, or affirmation accepted as the equivalent of such an appeal.

3. the form of words in which an oath is made.

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

5. any profane expression; curse; swearword.

Idioms:

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

2. under oath, solemnly bound by the obligations of an oath.

[before 900; Middle English ooth, Old English āth; c. Old Frisian, Old Saxon ēth, Old High German eid (German Eid), Old Norse eithr, Gothic aiths]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	oath - profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger; "expletives were deleted" curse, curse word, expletive, swearing, swearword, cuss profanity - vulgar or irreverent speech or action
	2.	oath - a commitment to tell the truth (especially in a court of law); to lie under oath is to become subject to prosecution for perjury swearing dedication, commitment - a message that makes a pledge
	3.	oath - a solemn promise, usually invoking a divine witness, regarding your future acts or behavior; "they took an oath of allegiance" promise - a verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future bayat - an oath of allegiance to an emir

oath

noun

1. promise, bond, pledge, vow, word, compact, covenant, affirmation, sworn statement, avowal, word of honour a solemn oath by members to help each other

2. swear word, curse, obscenity, blasphemy, expletive, four-letter word, cuss (informal), profanity, strong language, imprecation, malediction, vulgarism Weller let out a foul oath and hurled himself upon him.

Related words
adjective juratory

Quotations
"He who cheats with an oath acknowledges that he is afraid of his enemy, but that he thinks little of God" [Plutarch Lives: Lysander]
"Oaths are but words, and words but wind" [Samuel Butler Hudibras]
"Let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay" Bible: James

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

oath

noun

A profane or obscene term:

blasphemy, curse, epithet, expletive, swearword.

Informal: cuss.

Translations

تَجْديفقَسَمٌيَمين، قَسَم

přísahaslib

Eid Schwur Fluch

όρκος επιορκώ

juramento palabrota

valakirosanalupaus

serment juron

prisega

eskü

blótsyrîieiîur

giuramento giurare fedelt...imprecazione promessa bestemmia

誓い

서약

keiksmažodispriesaikaprisaikdintasprisiekęs

lāstszvērests

клятва присяга проклятие

prísaha

prisegakletvica

คำปฏิญาณ

yemin ant küfür

lời tuyên thệ

誓言诅咒

oath

[əʊθ] N (oaths (pl)) [əʊðz]

1. (= solemn promise etc) → juramento m
under oath; on oath → bajo juramento
to administer an oath to sb → tomar juramento a algn
to break one's oath → romper su juramento
to put sb on oath → hacer prestar juramento a algn
to swear on (one's) oath → jurar
to take the oath → prestar juramento
to take an oath that → jurar que ...
to take an oath of allegiance (Mil) → jurar la bandera

2. (= swear word) → palabrota f, grosería f (esp LAm), lisura f (Andes, S. Cone); (= curse) → blasfemia f, maldición f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

oath

[ˈəʊθ] n

(= formal promise) → serment m
to swear an oath → prêter serment oath of allegiance

[witness] on oath (British) → sous serment
Witnesses sometimes lie on oath → Les témoins mentent parfois sous serment.
to be on oath → être sous serment
under oath → sous serment
to take the oath → prêter serment

(= swear word) → juron moath of allegiance n → serment m d'allégeance

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

oath

→ Schwur m; (Jur) → Eid m; to take or make or swear an oath → schwören; (Jur) → einen Eid ablegen or leisten; he took an oath of loyalty to the government → er schwor der Regierung Loyalität; to declare under oath or on oath (Jur) → unter Eid aussagen; to be under oath (Jur) → unter Eid stehen; to break one’s oath → seinen Schwur brechen; to put somebody on oath (Jur) → jdn vereidigen; to take the oath (Jur) → vereidigt werden; he refused to take the oath (Jur) → er verweigerte den Eid; on my oath! (obs) → bei meiner Seele! (obs)

(= curse, profanity) → Fluch m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

oath

[əʊθ] n

a. (solemn promise) → giuramento
under or on oath → sotto giuramento
to put sb on or under oath to do sth → far giurare a qn di fare qc
to take the oath → giurare
to swear on oath or on one's oath → giurare solennemente

b. (swear word) → imprecazione f

oath

(əuθ) – plural oaths (ouθs ouðz) – noun

1. a solemn promise. He swore an oath to support the king.

2. a word or phrase used when swearing. curses and oaths.

on/under oath

having sworn an oath to tell the truth in a court of law. The witness is on/under oath.

oath

→ قَسَمٌ přísaha ed Eid όρκος juramento vala serment prisega giuramento 誓い 서약 eed ed przysięga juramento клятва ed คำปฏิญาณ yemin lời tuyên thệ 誓言

oath

n. juramento, promesa;

Hippocratic ___ → ___ hipocrático;

under ___ → bajo ___;

to take an ___ → jurar, prestar ___.

References in classic literature ?

And so Hesiod says that oaths touching the matter of love do not draw down anger from the gods: `And thereafter he ordained that an oath concerning the secret deeds of the Cyprian should be without penalty for men.'

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His small body was writhing in the delivery of great, crimson oaths.

They came to a stand a short distance away and yelled taunting oaths at the boy with the chronic sneer.

View in context

To the proposition, then, that slaves whose cases come within the terms of this clause "shall be delivered up", their oaths are unanimous.

Fellow citizens of the United States: in compliance with a custom as old as the government itself, I appear before you to address you briefly and to take, in your presence, the oath prescribed by the Constitution of the United States, to be taken by the President "before he enters on the execution of his office."

View in context

Moreover, you shall bid Priam come, that he may swear to the covenant himself; for his sons are high-handed and ill to trust, and the oaths of Jove must not be transgressed or taken in vain.

Meanwhile the two hosts lifted up their hands and prayed saying, "Father Jove, that rulest from Ida, most glorious in power, grant that he who first brought about this war between us may die, and enter the house of Hades, while we others remain at peace and abide by our oaths."

View in context

He thanked Jones for offering to undertake the office, and said, "Go, go, prithee, try what canst do;" and then swore many execrable oaths that he would turn her out of doors unless she consented to the match.

After having thanked the squire, therefore, for all his professions of kindness, she added, with a look full of inexpressible softness, "And is it possible my papa can be so good to place all his joy in his Sophy's happiness?" which Western having confirmed by a great oath, and a kiss; she then laid hold of his hand, and, falling on her knees, after many warm and passionate declarations of affection and duty, she begged him "not to make her the most miserable creature on earth by forcing her to marry a man whom she detested.

View in context

In this strait it occurred to me that these people, however barbarous, have some oath which they keep with an inviolable strictness; the best precaution, therefore, that I could use would be to bind them by this oath to be true to their engagements.

View in context

The trembling clown replied that as he lived and by the oath he had sworn (though he had not sworn any) it was not so much; for there were to be taken into account and deducted three pairs of shoes he had given him, and a real for two blood-lettings when he was sick.

View in context

In some of the larger towns there are artels of a much more complex kind-- permanent associations, possessing large capital, and pecuniarily responsible for the acts of the individual members." The word "artel," despite its apparent similarity, has, Mr Aylmer Maude assures me, no connection with "ars" or "arte." Its root is that of the verb "rotisya," to bind oneself by an oath; and it is generally admitted to be only another form of "rota," which now signifies a "regimental company." In both words the underlying idea is that of a body of men united by an oath.