Promise

prom′is, n. an engagement made by a person either verbally or in writing to do or keep from doing something: expectation or that which causes expectation: a ground for hope of future excellence: ( rare ) fulfilment of what is promised.— v.t. to make an engagement to do or not to do something: to afford reason to expect: to a ure: to engage to bestow.— v.i. to a ure one by a promise: to afford hopes or expectations: ( rare ) to stand sponsor.— ns. Prom′ise-breach ( Shak. ), violation of promise; Prom′ise-break′er ( Shak. ), a violator of promises.— adj. Prom′ise-crammed ( Shak. ), crammed or filled with promises.— ns. Promisēē′ , the person to whom a promise is made; Prom′iser , Prom′is or .— adj. Prom′ising , affording ground for hope or expectation: likely to turn out well.— advs. Prom′isingly ; Prom′i orily .— adj. Prom′i ory , containing a promise of some engagement to be fulfilled.— n. Prom′i ory-note , a note by one person promising to pay a sum of money to another, or to bearer, at a certain date, or at sight, or on demand.— Promised land , the land promised by God to Abraham and his seed: Canaan: heaven.— Be promised ( rare ), to have an engagement; Breach of promise (see Breach ); Conditional promise , a promise of which the obligation depends on certain conditions—opp. to Absolute promise ; Expre promise , a promise expre ed orally or in writing; The Promise , the a urance of God to Abraham that his descendants should become the chosen people. [Fr. prome e —L. pro mi a , promittĕre , to send forward— pro , forward, mittĕre , to send.]