vow

VOW/vaʊ/

Pluralvows

Verbvows, vowing, vowed

6 meanings of vow

Practice

1
nouncountable
A solemn promise to perform some act or behave in a specified way, especially one to live by the rules of a religious order.
He took a vow of silence when he entered the monastery.
The nuns renewed their vows in a quiet ceremony each spring.
Similarpromise, pledge, oath, commitment
Note
The word came to English through Old French from Latin votum, which meant both a promise and a dedication. It is a doublet of vote, the same Latin word reaching English by a second route, and it is unrelated to avow despite the resemblance. The usual verb is take, as in take a vow of silence. Religious vows are often spoken of in the plural, and they can be renewed.
2
verbtransitive or intransitive
To make a vow; to promise something solemnly.
They vow to love each other for the rest of their lives.
He vowed never to return to the town that had wronged him.
Similarpromise, pledge, swear
Note
Here the verb is flexible: it can take an object or stand alone, and it accepts several kinds of complement. The King James Bible of 1611 doubles it with its own noun in vowest a vow. Richard Baxter's Christian Directory (1673) uses a that-clause in vow that we will never sin. The to-infinitive in vowed never to return is a third pattern beside these.
3
verbtransitive
To announce openly that one has made a vow, typically to show resolve or to declare that one will retaliate.
The general vowed revenge after the ambush.
Protesters vow to continue marching until their demands are met.
Similarswear, pledge, promise
4
verbtransitive
To solemnly promise or swear to something, such as obedience or revenge.
He vowed vengeance on the men who had betrayed him.
The knights vow obedience to the ancient laws of the realm.
Similarswear, pledge, promise

Less common meanings

5
nounobsolete
A votive offering: a gift presented to a deity in fulfillment of a solemn promise.
The pilgrim laid a vow upon the altar before departing on his journey.
There are also waxen vows, that represent other parts of the body mixed with them; but of these there are few in comparison of the number of the Priapi.
1786, Richard Payne Knight, The Worship of Priapus
Note
An obsolete use in which the vow is a thing rather than a promise. Richard Payne Knight's The Worship of Priapus (1786) mentions waxen vows that represent parts of the body. This meaning keeps the "dedication" side of Latin votum, the root behind the solemn promise. A modern writer would say votive offering, and reading vow this way today would only confuse.
6
noun
A spoken or written declaration or assertion.

Practice

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Origin

Inherited from Middle English "vowe," from Old French "vut," in turn from Latin "vōtum" ("a promise, dedication, vow"), from "vovēre" ("to promise, vow"). It is a doublet of "vote" and is not related to "avow."