n. Espousal. [ Obs. ] Latimer. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ OF. espousailles, pl., F. épousailles, L. sponsalia, fr. sponsalis belonging to betrothal or espousal. See Espouse, and cf. Sponsal, Spousal. ]
The open espousal of his cause. Lord Orford. [ 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 ]