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noun
2.
a flowing backward or away; decline or decay: the ebb of a once great nation.
3.
a point of decline: His fortunes were at a low ebb.
verb (used without object)
4.
to flow back or away, as the water of a tide (opposed to flow).
5.
to decline or decay; fade away: His life is gradually ebbing.
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Ebbing
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
Origin:
before 1000; (noun) Middle English eb(be), Old English ebba; cognate with Old Frisian ebba, Dutch eb(be), German Ebbe ebb, Old Norse efja place where water backs up; (v.) Middle English ebben, Old English ebbian, derivative of the noun; akin to off
before 1000; (noun) Middle English eb(be), Old English ebba; cognate with Old Frisian ebba, Dutch eb(be), German Ebbe ebb, Old Norse efja place where water backs up; (v.) Middle English ebben, Old English ebbian, derivative of the noun; akin to off
Related forms
un·ebbed, adjective
un·ebb·ing, adjective
Synonyms
4. subside, abate, recede, retire. 5. dwindle, diminish, decrease.
4. subside, abate, recede, retire. 5. dwindle, diminish, decrease.
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 ebbing
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
ebb
O.E. ebba, perhaps from P.Gmc. *abjon, from *ab-, from PIE base *apo- "off, away" (see apo-). Figurative sense of "decline, decay" is c.1400. Related: Ebbed; ebbing.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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