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To betroth; to affiance. [Obs.] Harmar.

A betrothed woman.

Trust; reliance; faith; confidence. Such feelings promptly yielded to his habitual affiance in the divine love. Sir J. Stephen. Lancelot, my Lancelot, thou in whom I have Most joy and most affiance. Tennyson.

One who makes a contract of marriage between two persons.

voking to combat; a challenge; a provocation; a summons to combat. A war without a just defiance made. Dryden. Stood for her cause, and flung defiance down. Tennyson.

To face in defiance; to confront; as, to confront; as, to affront death; hence, to meet in hostile encounter. [Archaic]

To betroth or espouse; to affiance. [Obs.] Shak.

Betrothal; affiance. [Obs.] Sir P. Sidney.

To affiance; to betroth. [Obs.] Shak.

f different species of the genus Andropogon. -- To one's beard, to one's face; in open defiance.

To contract to any one for a marriage; to engage or promise in order to marriage; to affiance; -- used esp. of a woman. He, in the first flower of my freshest age, Betrothed me unto the only heir. Spenser. Ay, and we are betrothed. Shak.

gagement, or contract for a future marriage between the persons betrothed; betrothment; affiance. "The feast of betrothal." Longfellow.

To offer in words; to declare, as a wish, a greeting, a threat, or defiance, etc.; as, to bid one welcome; to bid good morning, farewell, etc. Neither bid him God speed. 2. John 10. He bids defiance to the gaping crowd. Granrille.

A challenge; a defiance; bravado. [Obs.] Demetrius, thou dost overween in all; And so in this, to bear me down with braves. Shak.

The act of braving; defiance; bravado. [Obs.] Reform, then, without bravery or scandal of former times and persons.

A daring villain; a bandit; one who sets law at defiance; a professional assassin or murderer. Safe from detection, seize the unwary prey. And stab, like bravoes, all who come this way. Churchill.

To make a show of fireceness or defiance; to bristle. [Obs.] To brustle up, to bristle up. [Obs.] Otway.

A letter of defiance or challenge; a challenge to single combat. [Obs.] He is cowed at the very idea of a cartel., Sir W. Scott. Cartel, or Cartel ship, a ship employed in the exchange of prisoners, or in carrying propositions to an enemy; a ship beating a flag of truce and privileged from capture.

An invitation to engage in a contest or controversy of any kind; a defiance; specifically, a summons to fight a duel; also, the letter or message conveying the summons. A challenge to controversy. Goldsmith.

To betroth; to affiance. The truth is, she and I, long since contracted, Are now so sure, that nothing can dissolve us. Shak.