oath

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A solemn, formal declaration or promise to fulfill a pledge, often calling on God, a god, or a sacred object as witness.
2. n. The words or formula of such a declaration or promise.
3. n. Something declared or promised.
4. n. An irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God or something held sacred.
5. n. An imprecation; a curse.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A solemn appeal to the Supreme Being in attestation of the truth of some statement or the binding character of some covenant, undertaking, or promise; an outward pledge that one's testimony or promise is given under an immediate sense of responsibility to God.
2. n. The form of words in which such attestation is made. Oaths are of two kinds: assertory oaths, or those by which something is asserted as true, and
3. n. A light or blasphemous use of the name of the Divine Being, or of anything associated with the more sacred matters of religion, by way of appeal, imprecation, or ejaculation.
4. n. Loosely — An ejaculation similar in form to an oath, but in which the name of God or of anything sacred is not used.
5. n. An imprecation, differing from a curse in its less formal and more exclamatory character: it may be humorous, or even affectionate, among rude and free-living men.
6. n. An exclamatory word or phrase, usually without appropriateness to the subject in hand, expressing surprise, and generally displeasure, though sometimes even approval or admiration. It may refer to something sacred, and even be what is called blasphemous, but is often wholly unmeaning, or is a corruption or softening of an originally blasphemous expression, as zounds! for God's (Christ's) wounds, egad for by God, etc.
7. To make to take an oath; put to the oath.
8. To use as an oath; swear by.
9. To call, speak to, or curse with an oath.
10. To swear; use oaths.

Wiktionary

1. n. A solemn pledge or promise to a god, king, or another person, to attest to the truth of a statement or contract
2. n. the affirmed statement or promise accepted as equivalent to an oath
3. n. A light or insulting use of a solemn pledge or promise to a god, king or another person, to attest to the truth of a statement or contract the name of a deity in a profanity, as in swearing oaths
4. n. a curse
5. n. law An affirmation of the truth of a statement.
6. v. archaic To pledge.
7. v. Shouting out. (as in 'oathing obsenities')

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A solemn affirmation or declaration, made with a reverent appeal to God for the truth of what is affirmed.
2. n. A solemn affirmation, connected with a sacred object, or one regarded as sacred, as the temple, the altar, the blood of Abel, the Bible, the Koran, etc.
3. n. (Law) An appeal (in verification of a statement made) to a superior sanction, in such a form as exposes the party making the appeal to an indictment for perjury if the statement be false.
4. n. A careless and blasphemous use of the name of the divine Being, or anything divine or sacred, by way of appeal or as a profane exclamation or ejaculation; an expression of profane swearing.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a commitment to tell the truth (especially in a court of law); to lie under oath is to become subject to prosecution for perjury
2. n. a solemn promise, usually invoking a divine witness, regarding your future acts or behavior
3. n. profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger