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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Promov(e, v. Also: promowe, -moove, -mof, -moif, -moufe, -muff, -muif, -mwiff. [Late ME (c 1400) and e.m.E. promove, L. prōmovēre to move forward, promote, OF promovoir (OED), mod. F. promouvoir: cf. Promote.] To promote.

1. tr. To advance or prefer (a person) to or till, also in, high rank or office, power, rule or wealth; also in various other constructions.(1) passive c1420 Wynt. vii 2244.
That off Northwyche the Byschape Till off Cawnterbery the se Befor othir suld promovyd [W. promuffit, C. promowit] be 1449 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. II 327.
The aldermane [etc.] … has gravntit the next paris clerkschipe that vakis … to William Forstar and na nother quhile he be promovit thar to 1475 Exch. R. VIII 311 n. 1485 Acts II 171/2.
And trublit certan personis promovit to beneficez 1494 Loutfut MS 9 b.
Eftir the lordschippis thai be promovit to c 1500 Justiciary Rec. (Reg. H.) I 154.
Remembir the highe fortone that ȝe ar promovit to 1515 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 41.
That the said postulat was promovit to the bischopry of Dunkeld be the king of Inglandis wrytingis and the said promocioun solicitat be the protectour of Ingland [etc.] 1518 Ib. 125.
[Forman was] promovit to the personage of Kinkell be my lord legat 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 118.
Than traistit I … To be promouit to sum land 1560 Rolland Seven S. 9047.
Quhat time thay be promouit to ony rent 1571–2 Reg. Privy C. II 107. 1578 Ib. 697. 1596 Dalr. I 109/6.(b) 1496 Dundee B. Ct. I fol. 163.
Quhill he be promowit till ane chaplanry a1538 Abell 28 b.
The Grekis … ar promowit to halie ordour nocht promittand chastite a1570-86 J. Maitland Maitl. F. clxxvii 3.
Thocht to the princis place thow be promowit [: lowit] Be nocht abvsit be authoritie 1580 Inverness Rec. I 284.
Than sal he be promowit to his burgesrie(c) 1492 Myll Spect. 294/12.
For … entent to be promuffyt to digniteis 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3176 (Ch.).
Maist cunning clarks with vs is best beluifit: To dignitie thay salbe, first, promuifitactive 1485 Acts II 171/2.
That sen he has promovit … Robert Blacater to the bischopric of Glasgw 1526–7 Reg. Privy S. I 545/2.
Ay and quhill his grace promov … Schir Ewin to benefice of [£200] be ȝeir 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II 372. Id. Livy II 70/26.
That thai promittit to promove him to the consulate 1546 Lynd. Trag. Card. 58.
I maid sic seruyce tyll our souerane kyng, He did promoue me tyll more hie estait 1540 Id. Sat. 3728 (Ch.). 1546 Acts II 480/2. 1551 Hamilton Cat. 3.
Efter that … God had promovit us to the office of ane archbischop and general primacie of this kirk 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 296.
Nor for no fauour suld promoue thame [: lufe thame] To that most gret and wechty cure Except [etc.] Ib. 387. 1562 Reg. Privy S. V i 290/1 (see Promote v. b (1)). 1568 Haddington Corr. 269.
James callit Erle Morray quhome we of ane spurious bastard … promovit fra ane religious monk to erle and lord Ib. 270. a1578 Pitsc. I 65/4.
He … promovit them … frome meane estait to great riches and dignitie abone thair degries Ib. 62/15. 1596 Dalr. I 211/27.
He promouet thame to steddings and feildes and vthiris commodities of this lyfe 1603 James VI in Calderwood VI 216.
And as God has promoved me to a greater power nor I had 1615 Lett. Eccl. Affairs II 412.
To … promoue Orknay to Glasgow(2) 1573 Sempill Sat. P. xxxix 312.
First God promouit him in the place abone(3) a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 105 (Harl.).
And will ane king to kirklie promotioun Promoif [Arund. promof] nane vther bot men of sufficiaunce(4) 1549 Compl. 43/12.
To gyf thankis to God for the hie stait and dignite that he hes promouit vs to posses(5) 1558 Admir. Ct. Bk. (St. S.) 86.
He may be promovit to be ane maister of ane schip 1571 Leslie in Misc. Bann. C. III 132.
That none be promoved before he be xxiiij ȝeris of age and bachelour in theologie to be a precheour or preist 1571–2 in Calderwood III 174.
That the persons … admitted commendatars may be promoved … to be senators(6) a1538 Abell 4 a.
Ane schosin … to be president to the laif quhilk suld promoue gude men Ib. 123 b.
Ane herittik that … passit to herice to be promowit with the wikkit king 1546 Lynd. Trag. Card. 388.
I was promouit on the sammyn wyse … And maid … Byschope Ib. 392. a1568 Bann. MS 89 b/9.
Than wer all clerkis for science promovit 1568 Haddington Corr. 270.
And the rest … quhome fra mair indigence … we promovit a1578 Pitsc. I 18/4.
Seine Schir Williame Crichtoun captaine of Edinburghe was promowit now alledging to be chancellar of the realme Ib. 194/6, 8.
That sic men of law reputatioun to be promoweit abone thame of the nobillitie. Fordar … it will caus thame that ar promoveit in this maner … to disawe thair maisteris and princis 1581 Sempill Sat. P. xliii 27.
Sum sho [sc. Fortune] promouis and sum sho puttis to vnder a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 204.
Promoove 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 17/27.
As I wishe him in promoouing them [sc. churchmen], to vse suche caution as [etc.] 1587-99 Hume 21/150.
All nathing worthie of themselues, but as thou list of loue, With graces them to dignifie, and highly to promove 1609 Garden Garden 91.
Behold … The proud deprest, and simple spreits promou'd(7) 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 337.
Prencis that sic prelatis promofis Accompt thareof to geue behuffis 1570 Leslie 40.
The abbottis and pryouris being promovit furth of the court

b. To advance (a person) to an academic degree or to a higher class in a college. 1490 Irland Mir. I xi.
Writtin and completit in Edinburgh be thi humyl oratore, Johne of Irland, greit and promovit in Parys the ȝer [1490] 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 9.
Thyr classis salbe … promovit hyear efter thair meritis Ib. 10.
Naine salbe promovit to na classe without he be examinat 1574 Comm. Univ. III (St. A.) 188.
That the qualifeit personis quhilkis hes alreddy studyit theologie … and will offer thameselffis to the … examinatioun may be promovit to all the degreis of bachelier [etc.] … or sa far as thai deserve to be promoved 1579 Acts III 180/1.
At the quhilk day the examinatioun of the scollaris … salbegyne amangis quhome the worthie to be promouit and the negligent to be haldin back 1638 Answere to J. Forbes Peaceable Warning.
That students … subscribe the religion then established … before they bee promoved to degries 1640 Comm. Univ. II (Glasg.) App. 257.
And that the masters, having examined and promoved the schollers, begin to teach the 24 of October

c. intr. Appar., To reach the required academic standard (meriting a degree). 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 13.
Swa that na man be admittit to resave degre except that he haif promouit in lettres

d. intr. To advance (to maturity). 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 43.
This monsture promovit to sic maturitie of aige as it could easelie … imitat euery manis countenance

e. tr. To advance or raise (a person, in the opinions of others). c1610 Melville Mem. 258.
Sa that thir his worthy qualites … promoued him sa in the oppinions of many, that [etc.]

2. tr. To further the growth or progress of, to help forward, to advance (a thing or process).Most freq. from c 1640.(a) 1513 Doug. (1553) in Doug. (S.T.S.) III p. 300.
For it is vertew that euer has promoued commoun welthys. And vyce has euer bene the caus of dystructione of the same 1566 Bk. Univ. Kirk (ed. Peterkin) 49.
That … our … brethren … are … forbidden to preach and so by you are stayed to promove [Bk. Univ. Kirk I 86, promote] the kingdome of Christ 1579 Comm. Univ. III (St. A.) 190. 1580 Skeyne Descr. Well.
Sic watter … keipis the stomak from corruptioun and promouis the haill faculteis quhilkis gouernis mannis body 1596 Dalr. I 247/20.
That … thay mycht eftirward … the baldlier thair battell promoue [L. instauraretar] 1610 Misc. Hist. Soc. II 158.
& imploying al his wits … to promooue al thair intentions 1615 Conv. Burghs III 15.
The fabrick of the house is so far promovit that the stane work thairof is almost perfytit 1641 Ellon Presb. 155.
The worship of God in private families is begun in the congregation: the minister ordained to see it settled and to promove it through everie familie 1645 Old Ross-shire I 222.
For promoveing the publict service 1649 Hist. Fragm. III 1.
Only I may say … ane engadgement was by them very far promooved 1649 Cramond Presb. Fordyce 20.
Historicall narratives or observationes promowing the historie off the kirk … to be sent to Mr. Jon Row 1651 Strathbogie Presb. 185.
Faithfullie to adher … to the religione presently professed … and to promove the same to the wttermost a1652 Dickson Psalms 1–50 (1653) 13. 1655 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 131.
And promooveing the gospell 1664 Pitcairn Spiritual Sacrifice 98. 1665 Aberd. Council Lett. IV 276. 1681 J. Menȝies Sermon at the Funeral of Sr. A. Fraiser 24.
By his charity … the pious work of the Bridge of Dy … was promoved and brought to the finishing cubit 1685 Alford Rec. 366.
They had keeped severall meitings … for promoveing that work a1688 Wallace Orkney 62.
Yet it is certain that the Christian faith was greatly promoved in this country about the beginning of the fifth century(b) 1475 Reg. Cupar A. I 203.
He sal ondyrly and kep our conyngar … and promovfe and put yt to al profit at is povar c1550-c1580 Art of Music 13 b.
Thairfor this present proces orderlye promwiffit may sufficiand ceis

3. a. To eject or remove (a person), from an office. b. To transfer or remove (a person), to another place. 1462 Peebles B. Rec. I 145.
And gyf the sayd Master Thomas fulfyllis nocht as is forspokyn he sal be promofyt and put out of the sayd seruis 1535 Stewart 30021.
Efter the deid thair of thair father syne … Tha war promouit till ane vther place

c. To move (a person) mentally, to stir or incite (to something). 1637 Gillespie Eng. Pop. Ceremonies Ep. B iij b (OED).
A law ought to draw back men from evill, … it ought also to promove them unto good

d. intr. To stir oneself, act (towards a certain end). a1658 Durham Clavis Cantici 322.
Our Lord … hath … a gracious design … and he is ever promoving therein for the end which he hath proposed

e. intr. ? To move about physically, to promenade, walk. 1594 Highland P. I 188.
First my Lord Glencairne being promoving with us in the saide chamber of deace our comuning wes anent [etc.]

4. a. tr. To build (a building) forward or cause it to project. b. intr. Of a building: To project, jut out. 1674 Edinb. B. Rec. X 178.
The vennalls … shall not … be obstructed … with the putting out or building of any foir stairs … and ar not to be incroched upon by any foir stair or structure promoved or coming out beyond the buildings upon ather syd 1685 Ib. XI 148.
The counsell … ordaines that what monuments or tombs shall heirafter be erected or built promoveing upon the ground of the said kirk yeard, shall be volted