Emily Dickinson Lexicon

A-VENGE, v.t. [avenj'; Fr. venger; Sp. vengar; Port. vingar; L. vindex. In Sax. winnan, to contend, to gain, to win.]

1. To take satisfaction for an inquiry by punishing the injuring party; to vindicate by indicating pain or evil on the wrong doer. Shall not God avenge his own elect? – Luke xviii. Avenge me of my adversary. – Id. ver. 3. In these examples, avenge implies that the evil inflicted on the injuring party is a satisfaction or justice done to the injured, and the party vindicated is the object of the verb.
2. To take satisfaction for, by pain or punishment inflicted on the injuring party. He will avenge the blood of his servants. – Deut. xxxii. Here the thing for which satisfaction is taken is the object of the verb.
3. To revenge. To avenge and revenge, radically, are synonymous. But modern usage inclines to make a valuable distinction in the use of these words, restricting avenge to the taking of just punishment, and revenge to the infliction of pain or evil, maliciously, in an illegal manner.
4. In the passive form, this verb signifies to have or receive just satisfaction, by the punishment of the offender. Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? – Jer. v.