BETROTH

betroth, engage, affiance, plight

(verb) give to in marriage

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Verb

betroth (third-person singular simple present betroths, present participle betrothing, simple past betrothed, past participle betrothen or betrothed)

To promise to give in marriage.

To promise to take (as a future spouse); to plight one's troth to.

Source: Wiktionary

Be*troth", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Betrothed; p. pr. & vb. n. Betrothing.] Etym: [Pref. be- + troth, i. e., truth. See Truth.]

1. To contract to any one for a marriage; to engage or promise in order to marriage; to affiance; -- used esp. of a woman. He, in the first flower of my freshest age, Betrothed me unto the only heir. Spenser. Ay, and we are betrothed. Shak.

2. To promise to take (as a future spouse); to plight one's troth to. What man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her Deut. xx. 7.

3. To nominate to a bishopric, in order to consecration. Ayliffe.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition