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Abased
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
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 + base2; replacing late Middle English abassen, equivalent to a-5 + bas base2; replacing Middle English abaissen, abe(i)sen < Anglo-French abesser, abaisser, Old French abaissier, equivalent + a- a-5 + -baissier < Vulgar Latin *bassiare, verbal derivative of Late Latin bassus; see base2
1470–80; a-5 + base2; replacing late Middle English abassen, equivalent to a-5 + bas base2; replacing Middle English abaissen, abe(i)sen < Anglo-French abesser, abaisser, Old French abaissier, equivalent + a- a-5 + -baissier < Vulgar Latin *bassiare, verbal derivative of Late Latin bassus; see base2
Related forms
a·base·ment, noun
a·bas·er, noun
un·a·bas·ing, adjective
Synonyms
1. humiliate, dishonor, defame, belittle.
1. humiliate, dishonor, defame, belittle.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Link To abased
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
abase
late 14c., abaishen, from O.Fr. abaissier "diminish, make lower in value or status," 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
EXPAND that O.Fr. verbs with stem -iss- enter English as -ish.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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