n. [ OF. advocatie, LL. advocatia. See Advocate. ] The act of pleading for or supporting; work of advocating; intercession. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. avocat, avocet, OF. avocat, fr. L. advocatus, one summoned or called to another; properly the p. p. of advocare to call to, call to one's aid; ad + vocare to call. See Advowee, Avowee, Vocal. ] 1. One who pleads the cause of another. Specifically: One who pleads the cause of another before a tribunal or judicial court; a counselor. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In the English and American Law, advocate is the same as “counsel, ” “counselor, ” or “barrister.” In the civil and ecclesiastical courts, the term signifies the same as “counsel” at the common law. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who defends, vindicates, or espouses any cause by argument; a pleader; as, an advocate of free trade, an advocate of truth. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Christ, considered as an intercessor. [ 1913 Webster ]

We have an Advocate with the Father. 1 John ii. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

Faculty of advocates (Scot.), the Scottish bar in Edinburgh. --
Lord advocate (Scot.), the public prosecutor of crimes, and principal crown lawyer. --
Judge advocate. See under Judge. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Advocated p. pr. & vb. n. Advocating ] [ See Advocate, n., Advoke, Avow. ] To plead in favor of; to defend by argument, before a tribunal or the public; to support, vindicate, or recommend publicly. [ 1913 Webster ]

To advocate the cause of thy client. Bp. Sanderson (1624). [ 1913 Webster ]

This is the only thing distinct and sensible, that has been advocated. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

Eminent orators were engaged to advocate his cause. Mitford. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To act as advocate. [ Obs. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Office or duty of an advocate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. advocatio: cf. OF. avocation. See Advowson. ] 1. The act of advocating or pleading; plea; advocacy. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The holy Jesus . . . sits in heaven in a perpetual advocation for us. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Advowson. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The donations or advocations of church livings. Sanderson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Scots Law) The process of removing a cause from an inferior court to the supreme court. Bell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to an advocate. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. advocare. See Advocate. ] To summon; to call. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Queen Katharine had privately prevailed with the pope to advoke the cause to Rome. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. advolvere, advolutum, to roll to. ] A rolling toward something. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. avoutre, avoltre, fr. L. adulter. Cf. Adulterer. ] An adulterer. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An adulteress. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. avowe, F. avoué, fr. L. advocatus. See Advocate, Avowee, Avoyer. ] One who has an advowson. Cowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. avoweisoun, OF. avoëson, fr. L. advocatio. Cf. Advocation. ] (Eng. Law) The right of presenting to a vacant benefice or living in the church. [ Originally, the relation of a patron (advocatus) or protector of a benefice, and thus privileged to nominate or present to it. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The benefices of the Church of England are in every case subjects of presentation. They are nearly 12, 000 in number; the advowson of more than half of them belongs to private persons, and of the remainder to the crown, bishops, deans and chapters, universities, and colleges. Amer. Cyc. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ OE. avoutrie, avouterie, advoutrie, OF. avoutrie, avulterie, fr. L. adulterium. Cf. Adultery. ] Adultery. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Avoyer. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An under or subordinate advocate. [ 1913 Webster ]