espousern.
/ᵻˈspaʊzə/, /ɛˈspaʊzə/, U.S. /ᵻˈspaʊzər/, /ɛˈspaʊzər/, /ᵻˈspaʊsər/, /ɛˈspaʊsər/ 1. A person who brings about a betrothal or marriage, or who makes a contract of marriage, esp. with a woman. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > betrothal > [noun] > one who brings about betrothal
espouser1653
affiancer1677
society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > betrothal > [noun] > betrothed person > man
fiancé1853
espouser1884
1597 T. Beard Theatre Gods Iudgements ii. xxxvi. 387 He forbiddeth them to be horders vp of gold and siluer, and espousers of many wiues.
1653 J. Gauden Hieraspistes 156 As Woers and Espousers..to make up..Espousals, between Christ and the Church.
1807 W. B. Maxwell Mysterious Father iii. 30 I'll make the folly of the dup'd espouser A subject for my merriment and laughter.
1835 E. Greswell Expos. Parables V. i. 447 [Their] proper relation to each other, from the time of the formation of the nuptial contract, to the period of the marriage solemnity, would be that of the espouser and of the espoused.
1884 C. Reade Picture i. ii, in Harper's Mag. Mar. 634/2 ‘You have accepted me publicly as your betrothed.’ ‘Say my espouser,’ said she, calmly.
1904 M. Loyd tr. K. Waliszewski Ivan the Terrible iv. iv. 372 The Church gave in, though she imposed a penance on this obstinate espouser of wives.
1939 Psychoanalytic Rev. 26 483 The pain of the daughter of Zion, when her espouser is led away by the soldiers.
2. A person who espouses a cause, party, opinion, theory, etc.; a supporter, an upholder, an adherent.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > support > support or encouragement > [noun] > supporter or encourager > specifically of a cause, principle, or practice
sustainer?a1439
patron1466
favourer1542
urger1574
patriot1631
espouser1645
advocater1647
voucher1677
protagonist1880
1645 H. Hammond View New Directory 77 There hath been as much saving knowledge..to be heard in the Sermons of those that retain the Liturgy.., as is to be met with in the espousers of the Directory.
1654 H. Hammond Answer Animadversions on Diss. touching Ignatius's Epist. iii. §4. 79 They shew themselves far from passionate espousers of Episcopacy.
1682 H. More Answer Lett. Psychopyrist To Rdr., in J. Glanvill Saducismus Triumphatus (ed. 2) He seems to be an Espouser of this opinion.
1738 W. Warburton Divine Legation Moses I. 33 Mr. Bayle, the last Espouser of this Paradox.
1741 C. Middleton Hist. Life Cicero I. vi. 519 The most factious espouser of a Dictator.
1804 Crit. Rev. July 294 The espousers of such a tenet we should rather suppose to have been brought from the moon.
1897 Munsey's Mag. Apr. 136/2 Enthusiastic espousers of freedom's cause.
1907 M. H. Harris Hist. Mediaeval Jews xxiv. 191 Some espousers of Kabalism were moved to great excesses.
1961 B. Vawter Conscience of Israel ix. 244 The modern neutralist or other espouser of unpopular causes..can hardly fail to run afoul of the jingoistic society in which he lives.
2009 J. L. Walton Watch This! iii. 100 Pastor Fred Price was hardly the first espouser of the Word of Faith doctrine to preach at ORU [= Oral Roberts University].
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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