Part 3928

<h1>Espousal</h1> <Xpage=509>

<hw>Es*pous"al</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OF. <ets>espousailles</ets>, pl., F. <ets>\'82pousailles</ets>, L. <ets>sponsalia</ets>, fr. <ets>sponsalis</ets> belonging to betrothal or espousal. See <er>Espouse</er>, and cf. <er>Sponsal</er>, <er>Spousal</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>The act of espousing or betrothing; especially, in the plural, betrothal; plighting of the troths; a contract of marriage; sometimes, the marriage ceremony.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>The uniting or allying one's self with anything; maintenance; adoption; <as>as, the <ex>espousal</ex> of a quarrel</as>.</def>

<blockquote>The open <b>espousal</b> of his cause. <i>Lord Orford.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Espouse</h1> <Xpage=509>

<hw>Es*pouse"</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Espoused</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Espousing</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[OF. <ets>espouser</ets>, <ets>esposer</ets>, F. <ets>\'82pouser</ets>, L. <ets>sponsare</ets> to betroth, espouse, fr. <ets>sponsus</ets> betrothed, p. p. of <ets>spondere</ets> to promise solemnly or sacredly. Cf. <er>Spouse</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>To betroth; to promise in marriage; to give as spouse.</def>

<blockquote>A virgin <b>espoused</b> to a man whose name was Joseph. <i>Luke i. 27.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To take as spouse; to take to wife; to marry.</def>

<blockquote>Lavinia will I make my empress, . . . And in the sacred Pantheon her <b>espouse</b>. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>To take to one's self with a view to maintain; to make one's own; to take up the cause of; to adopt; to embrace.</def> "He <i>espoused</i> that quarrel."

<i>Bacon.</i>

<blockquote>Promised faithfully to <b>espouse</b> his cause as soon as he got out of the war. <i>Bp. Burnet.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Espousement</h1> <Xpage=509>

<hw>Es*pouse"ment</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Cf. OF. <ets>espousement</ets>.]</ety> <def>The act of espousing, or the state of being espoused.</def>

<h1>Espouser</h1> <Xpage=509>

<hw>Es*pous"er</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>One who espouses; one who embraces the cause of another or makes it his own.</def>

<h1>Espressivo</h1> <Xpage=509>

<hw>Es`pres*si"vo</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[It.]</ety> <fld>(Mus.)</fld> <def>With expression.</def>

<h1>Espringal</h1> <Xpage=509>

<hw>Es*prin"gal</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[See <er>Springal</er>.]</ety> <fld>(Mil. Antiq.)</fld> <def>An engine of war used for throwing viretons, large stones, and other missiles; a springal.</def>

<h1>Esprit</h1> <Xpage=509>

<hw>Es`prit"</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. See <er>Spirit</er>.]</ety> <def>Spirit.</def>

<cs><col>Esprit de corps</col> <tt>(<?/)</tt>, <cd>a French phrase much used by English writers to denote the common spirit pervading the members of a body or association of persons. It implies sympathy, enthusiasm, devotion, and jealous regard for the honor of the body as a whole.</cd></cs>

<h1>Espy</h1> <Xpage=509>

<hw>Es*py"</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Espied</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Espying</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[OF. <ets>espier</ets>, F. <ets>\'82pier</ets>, from OHG. <ets>speh<?/n</ets> to watch, spy, G. <ets>sp\'84hen</ets>; akin to L. <ets>specere</ets> to look, <ets>species</ets> sight, shape, appearance, kind. See <er>Spice</er>, <er>Spy</er>, and cf. <er>Espionage</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>To catch sight of; to perceive with the eyes; to discover, as a distant object partly concealed, or not obvious to notice; to see at a glance; to discern unexpectedly; to spy; <as>as, to <ex>espy</ex> land; to <ex>espy</ex> a man in a crowd.</as></def>