v. t. To release from espousal or plighted faith. [ Poetic ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t.
A virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph. Luke i. 27. [ 1913 Webster ]
Lavinia will I make my empress, . . .
And in the sacred Pantheon her espouse. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
Promised faithfully to espouse his cause as soon as he got out of the war. Bp. Burnet. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ Cf. OF. espousement. ] The act of espousing, or the state of being espoused. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. One who espouses; one who embraces the cause of another or makes it his own. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. a person who was formerly a spouse. [ WordNet 1.5 ]
n. [ OF. espous, espos, fem. espouse, F. époux, épouse, fr. L. sponsus, sponsa, prop. p. p. of spondere, sponsum, to promise solemnly, to engage one's self. Cf. Despond, Espouse, Respond, Sponsor. ]
At last such grace I found, and means I wrought,
That I that lady to my spouse had won. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]
At which marriage was [ were ] no persons present but the spouse, the spousess, the Duchess of Bedford her mother, the priest, two gentlewomen, and a young man. Fabyan. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t. [ See Espouse, and Spouse, n. ] To wed; to espouse. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
This markis hath her spoused with a ring. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]
Though spoused, yet wanting wedlock's solemnize. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]
She was found again, and spoused to Marinell. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. Adultery. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Destitute of a spouse; unmarried. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. A wife or bride. [ Obs. ] Fabyan. [ 1913 Webster ]