n. [ OE. afiaunce trust, confidence, OF. afiance, fr. afier to trust, fr. LL. affidare to trust; ad + fidare to trust, fr. L. fides faith. See Faith, and cf. Affidavit, Affy, Confidence. ]
Such feelings promptly yielded to his habitual affiance in the divine love. Sir J. Stephen. [ 1913 Webster ]
Lancelot, my Lancelot, thou in whom I have
Most joy and most affiance. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t.
To me, sad maid, he was affianced. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. One who makes a contract of marriage between two persons. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ OF. defiance, desfiance, challenge, fr. desfier to challenge, F. défier. See Defy. ]
A war without a just defiance made. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]
Stood for her cause, and flung defiance down. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]
He breathed defiance to my ears. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
To bid defiance,
To set at defiance
v. t. [ F. fiancer. See Affiance. ] To betroth; to affiance. [ Obs. ] Harmar. [ 1913 Webster ]
‖n. [ F. ] A betrothed man; the man to whom one is betrothed. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]
‖n. [ F. ] A betrothed woman; the woman to whom one is betrothed. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]