plight

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A situation, especially a bad or unfortunate one. See Synonyms at predicament.
2. v. To promise or bind by a solemn pledge, especially to betroth.
3. v. To give or pledge (one's word or oath, for example).
4. n. A solemn pledge, as of faith.
5. idiom. plight (one's) troth To become engaged to marry.
6. idiom. plight (one's) troth To give one's solemn oath.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. Peril; danger; harm; damage.
2. n. A solemn promise or engagement concerning a matter of serious personal moment; solemn assurance or pledge.
3. To engage by solemn promise; pledge; engage or bind one's self by pledging: as, to plight one's hand, word, honor, faith, truth, vows, etc.
4. Synonyms Pledge, Plight. Pledge is applied to property as well as to word, faith, truth, honor, etc. Plight is now chiefly poetic or rhetorical; to plight honor is, as it were, to deposit it in pledge for the performance of an act—not often for the truth of a statement—to be forfeited if the act is not performed.
5. n. Condition; position; state; situation; predicament.
6. n. In particular— A bad condition or state; a distressed or distressing condition or predicament; misfortune.
7. n. A good condition or state.
8. To weave; plait; fold. See plait.
9. To combine or put together in one's mind.
10. n. A fold; a plait.
11. n. An obsolete preterit and past participle of pluck.

Wiktionary

1. n. Responsibility for ensuing consequences; risk; danger; peril.
2. n. An instance of danger or peril; a dangerous moment or situation.
3. n. archaic That which is exposed to risk; that which is plighted or pledged; security; a gage; a pledge.
4. v. transitive To expose to risk; to pledge.
5. v. transitive Specifically, to pledge (one's troth etc.) as part of a marriage ceremony.
6. v. reflexive To promise (oneself) to someone, or to do something.
7. v. obsolete To weave; to braid; to fold; to plait.
8. n. obsolete A network; a plait; a fold; rarely a garment.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. imp. & p. p. of plight, to pledge.
2. imp. & p. p. of pluck.
3. v. obsolete To weave; to braid; to fold; to plait.
4. n. obsolete A network; a plait; a fold; rarely a garment.
5. n. That which is exposed to risk; that which is plighted or pledged; security; a gage; a pledge.
6. n. Condition; state; -- risk, or exposure to danger, often being implied.
7. v. To pledge; to give as a pledge for the performance of some act; as, to plight faith, honor, word; -- never applied to property or goods.
8. v. To promise; to engage; to betroth.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. promise solemnly and formally
2. n. a solemn pledge of fidelity
3. v. give to in marriage
4. n. a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one