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abase

[ ə-ˈbās]

abase

verb

[ə-ˈbās]

abased; abasing

Definition of abase

transitive verb

1 formal : to lower in rank, office, prestige, or esteem
//abase oneself … the shame that had abased him within and without …— James Joyce

2 archaic : to lower physically As we enter among them the great elephant makes us a bow in the best style of elephantine courtesy, bending lowly down his mountain bulk, with trunk abased and leg thrust out behind.— Nathaniel Hawthorne

Other Words from abase

abasement \ ə-ˈbās-mənt \ noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for dainty

Synonyms: Synonyms

Synonyms: Antonyms

First Known Use of abase

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

History and Etymology for abase

alteration (conformed to base entry 3) of Middle English abessen, abaisen, abaschen, borrowed from Anglo-French abesser, abaisser, from a-, prefix in transitive verbs (going back to Latin ad-) + -besser, going back to Vulgar Latin *bassiāre "to lower," derivative of Late Latin bassus "fat, short, low" — more at ad-, base entry 3