▪ I. abase, v.
(əˈbeɪs)
Forms: 4 abesse; 5 abasse; 6 abace, adbass, abbase; 6– abase.
[ad. OFr. abaiss-ier, abeiss-ier, abess-ier, abes-ier (mod.Fr. abaisser), f. à to + baissier to lower:—late L. *bassāre f. bass-us ‘short or low of stature’ (in Papias = curtus, humilis, but in Isidore = crassus, pinguis); also a surname in early Lat. The regular mod. repr. of OFr. abaissier, abessier, ME. abesse, would be abease, abeace (cf. ease, lease, grease, peace); the actual abase is due to the influence of base adj. Must be distinguished from early and northern forms of abash; of which abayss, abaisse, abasse became by phonetic change abash, before abesse (by influence of base) became abase; but in the north, where s was not changed to sh, abaisse, abase, = abash are found contemporary with southern abase the present vb.]
1. To lower (physically), depress, bring or cast down. arch.
| 1477 Caxton Jason 10 And peleus..began to abasse and hange doun his heed. 1589 Puttenham Engl. Poesie (1811) iii. xxiv. 246 Their seruitours, speaking or being spoken vnto, abbase their eyes in token of lowlines. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, i. ii. 247 And will she yet abase her eyes on me? 1596 Spenser F.Q. ii. i. 26 Suddeinly that warriour gan abace His threatned speare. 1671 Salmon Syn. Medic. iii. xxii. 405 It abaseth inflamations and Feavers wonderfully. 1676 Phil. Trans. XI. 680 A Pump..whose Sucker..is raised and abased by two Levers. 1870 J. R. Lowell Am. my Books Ser. II (1873) 323 Its delectable mountains which night shall utterly abase and destroy. |
2. To lower in rank, office, condition, or character; to humble, humiliate; often with the sense of degrade, make base.
| 1393 Gower Conf. I. 111 Our king hath do this thing amis, So to abesse his roialte. 1539 Bp. Tonstall Sermon on Palme sondaye (1823) 1 He dyd abase hym selfe, takynge vpon hym the fourme of a seruant. 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. I. 16 The grosse and palpable flatterie, whereunto many have abassed & abused their wits and pens. a 1762 Lady M. W. Montagu Letters lix. 79 Heaven..you know delights in abasing the proud. 1834 Disraeli Rev. Epick i. xl. 44 (1864) Their end To level not to raise: where equal all All are abased. 1876 Freeman Norm. Conq. I. App. 620 This famous refusal of Rolf to abase himself. |
† 3. To lower in price or value, to depreciate, debase (coin). Obs.
| 1569 Grafton Chron. Ed. VI an. 5, 1316 The peece of ix pence was abaced to sixpence. a 1656 Hales Golden Remains Ser. I (1673) 14 If He that abases the prince's coin deserves to die. 1669 Child Disc. Trade 244 (ed. 4) The charge of mending our land would be doubled, and the land abased to seven or eight years purchase. 1736 Carte Life of Ormonde I. 12 The standard of it [the coin] which had been much abased in the time of her father Henry VIII. |
▪ II. † abase, adv. Obs. rare
[a. Fr. à bas down: see base.]
Down, lower; back.
| 1542 Boorde Dyetary iv. 238 (1870) The seller vnder the pantry, sette somwhat abase; the kychen set somwhat a base from the buttry and pantry. |