, , , 
y.] 1. In old law, the act of the distraiuer of 
oods, who, in an action of replevin, avowed and 
avowance 
avowance (a-vou'ans), n. [< avow 1 + -(luce.] 
1. The act of avowing; avowal. 2f. Justifi- 
cation; defense; vindication. 
Can my avowance of king-murdering be collected from 
anything here written by inu? l''iillrr. 
avowant (a-vou'ant), n. [< a row 1 + -aw/ 1 .] In 
la it; the defendant in replevin, who avows the 
distress of the goods, and justifies the taking. 
avowed (a-voud'), ]> a. Declared; open. 
I was thine open, thine amuwi enemy. Ma*siiiurr. 
avowedly (a-vou'ed-li), adv. In an avowed or 
open manner; with frank acknowledgment. 
avoweet, [Also >-, (\. v. ; < ME. avowe, 
< OF. avoue (see avoite), earlier avoe, < L. advo- 
caiws: see advowee, advocate.] An advocate 
or patron ; in Ian; same as advowee. 
avower 1 (a-vou'er), H. [< avow 1 + -er 1 .] One 
who avows, owns, or asserts. 
avower-t, [Also advower, avoure; < OF. 
avouer, inf. used as a noun: see avow 1 . "\ Avowal. 
He bad him stand t' abide the bitter stoure 
Of his sore vengeaimce, or to make avoure. 
Spenser, F. Q., VI. iii. 48. 
avowry (a-vou'ri), . [< ME. avowerie, avou- 
i-rie, acknowledgment, authority, < OF. avouerie, 
avoerie, < avouer, avoer, avow: see avow 1 and 
-ry. 
go 
justified the taking by maintaining that he took 
them in his own right : thus distinguished from 
cognizance, which was the defense of one who 
maintained that he took them in the right of 
another as his bailiff or servant. 2f. A patron 
saint chosen for one's advocacy in heaven: 
often applied to a picture or representation of 
the patron saint, and hence the cognizance by 
which a knight was known, because the repre- 
sentation of his patron saint borne on his pen- 
non became such a cognizance. 
Therefore away with these a cowrie*; let God alone be 
our avowry. 
Latimer, Sermons before Edw. VI. (Arber), p. 193. 
Within this circle and close to the corpse were carried 
the four banners two before, two behind of the dead 
person's awwries, which were small square vanes beaten 
out of gilt metal, painted with the figures of his patron saints 
and fastened flag-wise upon staves. 
Suck, Church of our Fathers, ii. 488. 
avowtryt, etc. See adroutry, etc. 
avoyt, interj. [< OF. avoi, avoy, interj.] An 
exclamation of surprise or remonstrance. 
Avoy, quod she, fy on yow herteless. 
Chaucer, Nun's Priest's Tale, 1. 88. 
avoyer (a-voi'er), n. [Also advoyer; < F. avoyer, 
prob. < Mii.*advocarius, equiv. toadvocatits, pro- 
tector, patron ; of. ML. advocaria, tribute paid 
for protection, the protection itself: see advo- 
cate.] In French Switzerland, the early title of 
the chief magistrates of the cantons. In Bern 
the title was used until 1794. 
avulset (a-vuls'), i. t. [< L. avtilsus, pp. of avel- 
lere, pluck off : see avell. ] To pluck or pull off. 
Shenstonc. 
avulsion (a-vul'shon), . [< L. avulsio(n-), < 
avulsus, pp. of avellere, pluck off: see avell.~\ 
If. A pulling or tearing asunder or off; a rend- 
ing or violent separation. 
The thronging clusters thin 
By kind avulsion. J. Philips, Cyder, i. 24. 
On condition of everlasting avulsion from Great Britain. 
Jefermn, Correspondence, I. 161. 
2f. A fragment torn off. 3. In law, the sud- 
den removal of soil from the land of one man 
and its deposit upon the land of another by the 
action of water. 
avuncular (a-vung'ku-lSr), a. [< L. avuncwlus, 
uncle, dim. of avus, grandfather: see uncle.] 
Of or pertaining to an uncle. 
In these rare instances the law of pedigree, whether di- 
rect or avuncular, gives way. Is. Taylor. 
Clive had passed the avuncular banking-house in the 
city, without caring to face his relations there. 
Thackeray, Kewcomes, II. ii. 
aw j t, n. and r. See awe 1 . 
aw 2 , interj. [Cf. augh, ah, oh.] An exclama- 
tion of surprise, disgust, or remonstrance. 
[Colloq.] 
aw. [(1) < ME. aw, au, ay, ag (awe, etc.), < AS. 
ag (aga, agu, etc.), that is, a followed by the 
guttural g; (2) < ME. aw, au (aire, etc.), < AS. 
aw (awn, etc.) (or aiw, edw), that is, a (or ce, ed) 
followed by the labial w; (3) < ME. aw, au, ai; 
< AS. (etc.) of (or); (4) of other origin.] A 
common English digraph (pron. a), formerly in- 
terchangeable in most instances with au (which 
see), but now the regular form when final, and 
when medial before Jc, I, and n. Historically it 
represents, in older words, (1) a (a) with an absorbed gut- 
tural, as in Aawl, law', mawi, sowi, saw%, awn, dawn, 
398 
etc.; (2), (3), a (a) with an absorbed labial (w or ), as 
in awl, clttu-j raw, awkl, hawkl, crawl, etc.; (4) a, au, or o 
in other positions and of various origin, as in yawn, yawl, 
In wn, pawn, pawl, bawl, etc. In later words often a mere 
accident of spelling. 
awa (a-wa'), adv. A Scotch form of away. 
awabi (a-wa 'be), n. [Jap.] The Japanese 
abalone, or sea-ear, Haliotis gigantea, a shell- 
fish found in great quantity oh the southern 
shores of Japan and much used as food. The 
shell is extensively used for inlaying in lacquer-work, and 
in other ornamentation. See abalone. 
await 1 (a-waf), v. [< ME. awaiten, atcai/ten, < 
OF. aicaitier, awaiter, later aguaitirr, agaiter, 
watch for, lie in wait, < a, to, + waitier, later 
i/iiaitier, gaitier, gaiter (mod. F. guetter), watch, 
wait: see a- 11 , wait, and watch.] I. trans. If. 
To watch for ; lie in wait for. 
Your ill-meaning politician lords, 
Under pretence of bridal friends and guests, 
Appointed to await me thirty spies. 
Milton, 8. A., 1. 1196. 
2. To wait for ; look for or expect. 
Betwixt these rocky pillars Gabriel sat, 
Chief of the angelic guards, awaiting night. 
Milton, P. L., iv. 550. 
awald 
Such as you 
Nourish the cause of his a waking. 
Shak., W. T., ii. 3. 
The purple flowers droop : the golden bee 
Is lily-cradled : I alone awake. 
Teniiyxon, (Euone. 
II. trail*. 1. To arouse from sleep. 
I go that I may awake him out of sleep. John xi. 11. 
2. To arouse from a state resembling sleep, 
as from death, stupor, or inaction; put into 
action or new life : as, to awake the dead ; to 
awake the dormant faculties. 
My master is awak'd by great occasion 
To call upon his own. Shak., T. of A., ii. 2. 
Thou dost awake something that troubles me, 
And says, I lov'd thee once. 
Beau, ami Fl, Maid's Tragedy, v. 4. 
= Syn. 2. To wake, excite, stir up, call forth, stimulate, 
spur (up). 
awake (a-wak'), a. [Formerly also awaken, < 
ME. awake, awaken, < AS. dwacen, pp.: see 
the verb.] Roused from sleep; not sleeping; 
in a state of vigilance or action. 
It is my love that keeps mine eye awake. 
Shak., Sonnets, Ixi. 
All through life I have awaited the fulfilment of a awakement (a-wak'ment), . [< awaJce, V., + 
prophecy. Hawthorne. - me ,,t.] The act of awakening, or the state of 
3. To be in store for ; attend ; be ready for : being awake ; revival, especially revival of re- 
ligion. [Rare.] Imp. Diet. 
awaken (a-wa'kn), v. [< ME. awakenen, awak- 
nen, < AS. awcecnan, pres. used with strong 
as, a glorious reward awaits the good. 
Let all good things await 
Him who cares not to be great. 
Tennyson, Duke of Wellington, vlii. 
H.t intrans. To watch ; give heed. 
Awaitynpe on the reyn if he it heere. 
Chaucer, Miller's Tale, 1. 45B. 
Ther is ful many an eye and many an ere 
Awaitim<i on a lord, and he noot where. 
Chaucer, Summoner's Tale, 1. 352. 
await 1 * (a-waf), n. [< ME. await, awayt, < OF. 
await, later aguait, agait, etc., mod. F. aguets, 
watch, ambush ; from the verb.] A state of wait- 
ing; watch; ambush. 
The lyoun sit in his await alway 
To slen the innocent, if that he may. 
Chaucer, Friar's Tale, 1. 359. 
Themselves they set 
There in await with thicke woods overgrowne. 
Spenser, F. Q., III. v. 17. 
To have In awaitt, to keep a watch on. 
Fortune was first frend and sithen too, 
No man ne tniste vp-on hir fauour longe, 
But haue hir in awaitt for euer-moo. 
Chaucer, Monk's Tale, 1. 731 
await 2 t (a-wat')j prep. phr. as adv. [< a3 + 
wait, n.] " In wait. lyndale. 
awaiter (a-wa'ter), n. [< ME. amayter, awai- 
pret. dwoc (see awake, v.), also awcecnian (pret. 
dwaicnedc, pp. awwcned), awake ; orig. intrans., 
but in mod. use more commonly trans.: see 
awake, v.] I. intrans. 1. To become awake; 
cease to sleep ; be roused from sleep or a state 
resembling sleep: as, to awaken early. 
A music of preparation, of awakening suspense a mu- 
sic like the opening of the coronation anthem. 
De Quince;/. 
2. To come into being or action as if from 
sleep : as, hope awakened in his breast. 
II. trans. 1. To rouse from sleep or a state 
resembling sleep ; cause to revive from a state 
of inaction. 
Satan . . . his next subordinate 
Awakening, thus to him in secret spake. 
Milton, P. L, v. 672. 
I offer'd to awaken his regard 
For his private friends. Shak., Cor., v. 1. 
2. To call into being or action. 
Such a reverse in a man's life awakemt abetter principle 
than curiosity. Sterne, Sentimental Journey, p. 77. 
{Awaken is chiefly used in figurative or transferred ap- 
. *^. " L ff j ~- plications, awake being preferred in the sense of arousing 
tour (cf . OF. aguaiteor, aguetteur) : see await from actual sleep.] 
and -er 1 .] 1. One who awaits. 2f. One who awakenable (a-wa'kn-a-bl), a. [< awaken + 
lies in wait. -able.] Capable of being awakened. Carlyle. 
Yef he be a prive auaitour yhid, and reioyseth hym to a wa fcener (a-wak'ner), n. One who or that 
rauysshe by wyles, thou shalt seyne him lyke to the fox which awakens or arouses from sleep or mac- 
whelpes. Chaucer, Boethius. 
awake (a-wak'), v. ; pret. awoke, awaked, pp. 
awoke, awaked, ppr. awaking. [In this verb are 
merged two orig. different but closely related 
tion. 
Though not the safest of guides in politics or practical 
philosophy, his [Carlyle's] value as an inspirer and awa- 
kener cannot be overestimated. 
iotraa, Study Windows, p. 149. 
forms :(1) ME. awaiten (strong verb; pret. awokt, w , -, , . > 
amok, pp. awaken, awake), < AS. 'dlracan, onlv awa ^ enil .8 (a-wak'ning), n. 1. The act of 
in pret. dwoc, pp. awacen, the pres. being sup- awakln g from slee P- 
plied by dweccnan with formative -n (wnence Some minute ere tlle tim e 
prop. mod. E. awaken, q. v.), earlier "onwacan 
(pret. onwoc, pres. onwaicnan, etc.), < o-, orig. 
on-, + "u-acan, waicnan, wake; (2) ME. awaken, 
Of her awakening. 
Shak. (some editions), E. and J., v. 3. 
. , 
awakien (weak verb; pret. awaked, pp. awaked), 
< AS. dwacian (pret. dwacode, pp. dwacod) (= 
OHG. arwaclien, MHG. G. erwaciien), < o- + 
wacian, wake, watch. The above were prop. 
intrans., the trans, form being ME. awecchen, < 
AS. aweccan (= OS. awekkian = OHG. arwec- 
chan, irweccheii, MHG. G. erwecken), < o- + 
2. An arousing from what is like sleep ; a re- 
vival of interest in, or attention to, what has 
been neglected. 
It was a sign of a great awakeniiuj of the human mind 
when theologians thought it both their duty and their 
privilege to philosophize. Stitti, Stud. Med. Hist., p. 384. 
Especially 3. A revival of religion, either in 
an individual or in a community: a use of 
weccan, trans., wake, arouse. The forms vary the word derived from the Scripture symbol 
as those of the simple verb : see a- 2 , a- 1 , and f 8ln a s death or sleep, and conversion as 
wake.] I. intrans. 1 . To cease to sleep : come resurrection or awakening The great awaken- 
out of a State of natural sleep. ^8- tlle S reat revival of religion in New England brought 
:;tii^^ 
Mult needs h a.M 1 jte ening 8eD8e8 ' h>mger ^ 
awakeningly (a-wak'ning-li), adv. 
In a man- 
nvratwth Ufe become 
ahve: as, to awake from sloth ; to awake to the 
consciousness nf a oroaf inoa 
Awake, sword, against my shepherd. Zeeh. xiii. 7. 
i COT. xv. 34. 
And at his word the choral hymns awake. 
. _, . &, Don Roderick, st. 32. 
4. To be or remain awake ; watch. [Obsolete 
or poetical.] 
awa id await (&' wald ji'waltl n and n rSo 
e4Wd,iu, dwd,n (a warn, a wan;, a. ana n. IDC., 
also written awelled, awart (and by simulation 
awkward) ; origin uncertain. Cf. AS. wealtan, 
wceltan, roll, *awa;ltan, pret. awtelte, roll: see 
waiter, walty, welter.] I. a. Lying helplesslv 
on the back: said of a sheep wH en unable, 
through sickness or fatness, to get up. 
n< . A sheep go lying _ 
