Word a Day
espouse
What does espouse mean?
espouse (verb): to accept, support, or take on as one’s own (an idea or a cause).
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where does espouse come from?
From Middle English espousen, borrowed from Old French espouser, from Latin spōnsāre (frequentative of spondeō), from Proto-Indo-European *spend-.
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “espouse”?
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What does “espouse” mean?
to encircle something or simultaneously extend in all directions
Not quite: that's what surround means.
to accept, support, or take on as one’s own (an idea or a cause)
Right! That's what “espouse” means.
to move slowly, especially pushed by currents of water, air, etc
Not quite: that's what drift means.
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
Not quite: that's what acknowledge means.
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