Pronounced: by-oh-tuhr-BAY-shun, noun
Notes: This is one of the words about which I had no inkling of the meaning, but when I saw it, I thought “of course!” (perhaps you will do better than me)
Yesterday’s word
The word handfast, as a noun, means “a contract or agreement, especially about a betrothal of marriage”. As a verb, it means “to engage to be married or to bind in wedlock”
First usage
Our word came into English in the late 1200s
Background / Comments
Our word came from the Old English handfaesten (to pledge or to betroth), which is made up of hand- and faesten (to fasten). This certainly refers to the old custom of betrothals made by joining of hands. We see remnants of this in modern marriage ceremonies, where the couple to be wed joins hands.
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 