Swearing

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Swear \Swear\, v. i. [imp. {Swore}, formerly {Sware}; p. p.
     {Sworn}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Swearing}.] [OE. swerien, AS.
     swerian; akin to D. zweren, OS. swerian, OHG. swerien, G.
     schw["o]ren, Icel. sverja, Sw. sv[aum]rja, Dan. svaerge,
     Icel. & Sw. svara to answer, Dan. svare, Dan. & Sw. svar an
     answer, Goth. swaran to swear, and perhaps to E. swarm.


     [root]177. Cf. {Answer}.]
     1. To affirm or utter a solemn declaration, with an appeal to
        God for the truth of what is affirmed; to make a promise,
        threat, or resolve on oath; also, to affirm solemnly by
        some sacred object, or one regarded as sacred, as the
        Bible, the Koran, etc.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Ye shall swear by my name falsely.    --Lev. xix.
                                                    12.
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              I swear by all the Roman gods.        --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Law) To give evidence on oath; as, to swear to the truth
        of a statement; he swore against the prisoner.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. To make an appeal to God in an irreverant manner; to use
        the name of God or sacred things profanely; to call upon
        God in imprecation; to curse.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              [I] swore little; diced not above seven times a
              week.                                 --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {To swear by}, to place great confidence in a person or
        thing; to trust implicitly as an authority. "I simply
        meant to ask if you are one of those who swear by Lord
        Verulam." --Miss Edgeworth.
  
     {To swear off}, to make a solemn vow, or a serious
        resolution, to abstain from something; as, to swear off
        smoking. [Slang]
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Swearing \Swear"ing\,
     a. & n. from {Swear}, v.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           Idle swearing is a cursedness.           --Chaucer.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  swearing
       n 1: profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger;
            "expletives were deleted" [syn: {curse}, {curse word}, {expletive},
             {oath}, {swearword}, {cuss}]
       2: a commitment to tell the truth (especially in a court of
          law); to lie under oath is to become subject to
          prosecution for perjury [syn: {oath}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  36 Moby Thesaurus words for "swearing":
     affidavit, affirmation, attestation, bad language, billingsgate,
     blue language, certification, colorful language, cursing, cussing,
     deposition, dirty language, dirty talk, dysphemism, evil speaking,
     execration, filth, filthy language, foul language, imprecation,
     notarized statement, obscenity, profane swearing, profanity,
     ribaldry, scatology, statement under oath, strong language,
     sworn statement, sworn testimony, testimony,
     unparliamentary language, unrepeatable expressions, vile language,
     vouching, vulgar language