Also 7 expouse. See also SPOUSE v. [a. OF. espouse-r (mod.F. épouser), corresp. to Pr. espozar, Cat. esposar, It. sposare:—L. sponsāre, f. sponsus, pa. pple. of spondēre to betroth. Cf. SPOUSE v.]
† 1. trans. To contract or betroth (gen. a woman) to, † with another; also simply. Usually said of the parents, or those standing in loco parentis, rarely of the bridegroom. Obs.
1605. Camden, Rem. (1637), 414. Vpon two Lovers who being espoused, dyed both before they were married.
| She first deceas’d, he for a little tryed | |
| To live without her, lik’d it not, then dyed. |
1611. Bible, 2 Sam. iii. 14. Deliuer mee my wife Michal, which I espoused to mee. Ibid., Luke i. 27. To a virgine espoused to a man whose name was Ioseph.
1622. Bacon, Hen. VII, 176 (J.). Hee had receiued him as a Suppliant,… espoused him with his Kinswoman.
† b. fig. To pledge, commit, engage. Obs.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. xxiii. § 6. Aaa 1 b. Those that will espouse vs to many factions and quarels.
1654. R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομια, 225. I will … look on all the changes of Commonwealths … without espousing my reason so to any one, as [etc.]. Ibid., 253. To espouse our selves … to one part of truth.
2. To take (a person) as spouse; to marry. Said chiefly of the man, occas. of the woman. Also of the father: To give in marriage to.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 8. And this day Pyrithyon espoused the fayr Ypodame.
1511–2. Act 3 Hen. VIII., c. 18. Pream., Richarde … whose dowghter & heyre the seid Syr John Rysley espoused & maryed.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., IV. v. 18. The Queene hath heartily consented He should espouse Elizabeth hir daughter.
1613. Purchas, Pilgr. (1628), 201. He which shall espouse a woman bringeth witnesses.
1642. Perkins, Prof. Bk., v. § 439. 190. If a man assigne unto his wife when he espouses her, at the Church doore [etc.].
1725. Pope, Odyss., II. 130. If her [Penelope’s] sire approves, Let him espouse her to the Peer she loves.
1768. H. Walpole, Hist. Doubts, 40. Before Edward had espoused the lady Grey, he had been contracted to the lady Eleanor Butler.
1860. Motley, Netherl. (1868), I. ii. 55. The Duke of Savoy was himself to espouse the Infanta.
b. transf. and fig.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 2. On Ascention Day the Duke [of Venice] … is rowed thither in the Bucentoro … where he solemnly espouseth the sea.
a. 1711. Ken, Psyche, Poet. Wks. 1721, IV. 256. Sweet Jesus to espouse your Spirit deigns.
1802. Wordsw., On Extinction Venet. Republic. And when she [Venice] took unto herself a mate, She must espouse the everlasting Sea.
1860. Pusey, Min. Proph., 8. God … Who now vouchsafes to espouse, dwell in, and unite Himself with, and so to hallow, our sinful souls.
† 3. To unite in marriage. Const. to, also simply. lit. and fig. Obs.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., I. i. 9. In presence of … twenty reuerend Bishops I … was espous’d. Ibid., Lucr., 20. Kings might be espoused to more fame. Ibid. (1599), Hen. V., IV. vi. 26. And so, espous’d to death, with blood, he seal’d A Testament of Noble-ending-loue.
† b. absol. with reciprocal sense.
1693. Dryden, Ovid’s Met., IX. in Misc. 75 (J.).
| They soon espous’d; for they with ease were joyn’d, | |
| Who were before Contracted in the Mind. |
4. trans. To choose, attach oneself to (any object); to take to oneself, make one’s own (a cause, quarrel, etc.); to become a supporter of (a party); to adopt, embrace (a doctrine, opinion, theory, profession, mode of life). [So Fr. épouser.]
1622. Bacon, Hen. VII, 41 (J.). Vpon gratitude vnto the Duke of Britaine,… espouse that quarrell, and declared himselfe in aide of the Duke.
1655. Gurnall, Chr. in Arm., xxix. § 5 (1669), 333/1. The Mariners Needle espousing the North point rather than any other.
1667. Dryden, Ess. Dram. Poetry, in Arb., Garner, III. 531. And by that means, expouse the interest of neither.
1672. Cave, Prim. Chr., I. ii. (1673), 18. You ought not … to espouse barbarous and foreign Rites.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 1, ¶ 6. I never espoused any Party with Violence.
1759. Robertson, Hist. Scot., I. VI. 265. He espoused, for this reason, the cause of the Scottish queen.
1782. Priestley, Corrupt. Chr., I. III. 307. The protestants espoused it [the doctrine of Austin].
1789. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), II. 555. The Parliaments … were led … to espouse, for the first time, the rights of the nation.
1814. Wordsw., White Doe, II. 208. Espouse thy doom at once, and cleave To fortitude without reprieve.
1825. Lytton, Falkland, 16. [They] looked to my support in whatever political side they had espoused.
1854. Balfour, Bot., 130. Many travellers have espoused the vertical theory of wood formation.
