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abase

 - 3 dictionary results

a⋅base

  [uh-beys]
Use abase in a Sentence
–verb (used with object), a⋅based, a⋅bas⋅ing.
1. to reduce or lower, as in rank, office, reputation, or estimation; humble; degrade.
2. Archaic, to lower; put or bring down: He abased his head.
Origin:
1470–80; a- 5 + base 2 ; r. late ME abassen, equiv. to a- 5 + bas base 2 ; r. ME abaissen, abe(i)sen < AF abesser, abaisser, OF abaissier, equiv. + a- a- 5 + -baissier < VL *bassiare, v. deriv. of LL bassus; see base 2

Related forms:
a⋅base⋅ment, noun
a⋅bas⋅er, noun

Synonyms:
1. humiliate, dishonor, defame, belittle.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To abase
a·base   (ə-bās')   
tr.v.   a·based, a·bas·ing, a·bas·es
To lower in rank, prestige, or esteem. See Synonyms at degrade.

[Middle English abassen, from Old French abaissier : Latin ad-, ad- + Vulgar Latin *bassiāre (from Medieval Latin bassus, low).]
a·base'ment n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

abase 
1393, abaishen, from O.Fr. à bassier "make lower," from V.L. *ad bassiare "bring lower," from L.L. bassus "thick, fat, low;" from the same source as base (adj.) and altered in Eng. by influence of it, which made it an exception to the rule that O.Fr. verbs with stem -iss- enter Eng. as -ish.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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