• IPA: /vaʊ/

vow (plural vows)

1. A solemn promise to perform some act, or behave in a specified manner, especially a promise to live and act in accordance with the rules of a religious order.

   The old hermit, up in the mountains, took a vow of silence.

2. A declaration or assertion.
3. (obsolete) A votive offering.
   • 1786, Richard Payne Knight, The Worship of Priapus:

     There are also waxen vows, that represent other parts of the body mixed with them; but of these there are few in comparison of the number of the Priapi.

• French: voeu, vœu
• German: Gelübde, Schwur, Eid, Gelöbnis
• Italian: voto
• Portuguese: bodo, voto
• Russian: кля́тва
• Spanish: voto, manda, promesa

• German: Eid
• Italian: voto
• Russian: обяза́тельство

vow (vows, present participle vowing; past and past participle vowed)

1. (ambitransitive) To make a vow; to promise.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Ecclesiastes 5:4 ↗:

     When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it.

   • We do not vow that we will never sin, nor neglect a duty (nor ought we to do so).

2. (transitive) To make a vow regarding (something).

   The wronged woman vowed revenge.

3. To declare publicly that one has made a vow, usually to show one's determination or to announce an act of retaliation.

   The rebels vowed to continue their fight.

• French: jurer
• German: schwören, geloben
• Italian: giurare, votare
• Russian: кля́сться

• Russian: кля́сться

• devote
• vote
• votive