Affiance

4 definitions found

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

  affiance \af*fi"ance\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {affianced}
     ([a^]f*f[imac]"anst); p. pr. & vb. n. {affiancing}
     ([a^]f*f[imac]"an*s[i^]ng).] [Cf. OF. afiancier, fr.
     afiance.]
     1. To betroth; to pledge one's faith to for marriage, or
        solemnly promise (one's self or another) in marriage.


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              To me, sad maid, he was affianced.    --Spenser.
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     2. To assure by promise. [Obs.] --Pope.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Affiance \Af*fi"ance\ ([a^]f*f[imac]"ans), 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}.]
     1. Plighted faith; marriage contract or promise. [archaic]
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     2. Trust; reliance; faith; confidence. [archaic]
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              Such feelings promptly yielded to his habitual
              affiance in the divine love.          --Sir J.
                                                    Stephen.
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              Lancelot, my Lancelot, thou in whom I have
              Most joy and most affiance.           --Tennyson.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  affiance
       v : give to in marriage [syn: {betroth}, {engage}, {plight}]

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  AFFIANCE, contracts. From affidare or dare fidem, to give a pledge. A
  plighting of troth between a man and woman. Litt. s. 39. Pothier, Traite du
  Mariage, n. 24, defines it to be a an agreement by which a man and a woman
  promise each other that they will marry together. This word is used by some
  authors as synonymous with marriage. Co. Litt. 34, a, note 2. See Dig. 23, 1
  Code 5, 1, 4; Extrav. 4, 1.