▪ I. † bash, v.1
Forms: 4 baise-n, bayse-n, 4–6 basshe-n, 5 basche, baysche, 6 bashe, 6–7 bash. North. 4 baise, 6 base.
[Aphetic form of abash v.]
1. trans. To destroy the confidence or self-possession of; to daunt, dismay, discomfit; to disconcert, put out of countenance, abash.
| c 1375 Morte Arth. (MS. c 1440) 2857 Bees noghte baiste of ȝone boyes, ne of þaire bryghte wedis! c 1480 Kyng & Hermit 442 in Hazl. E.P.P. (1864) 30 Thoff I be here in pore clothing, I am no bayschyd for to bryng Gestys two or thre. 1515 Scot. Field 179 in Chetham Misc. II, Because they bashed them at Berwick, that boldeth them the more. 1594 Carew Tasso (1881) 104 He made Semblant, as nought him could dismay or bash. |
2. intr. a. To be daunted or dismayed; to quail, lose confidence; to be confounded.
| c 1340 Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 376 He baldly hym bydez, he bayst neuer þe helder. 1382 Wyclif Josh. ii. 11 Oure herte basshede, ne spiryt bood in us. c 1450 Lonelich Grail xxxvii. 244 Grettere tempestes..where offen they bascheden. 1580 North Plutarch (1676) 38 Alcander..strake out one of his eyes..Yet for all this Lycurgus never bashed. |
b. To be put out of countenance; to shrink back for shame, to be ashamed or abashed. Const. inf., at.
| c 1460 Russell Bk. Nurture in Babees Bk. (1868) 161 With salt & wyne serue ye hym þe same, boldly & not to basshe. 1554 Philpot Exam. & Writ. (1842) 303 Their corrupt faces bash not to deny the eternal Son of God. 1589 Greene Tullies Loue Wks. 1882 VII. 115 Like Diana when shee basht at Acteons presence. 1606 Holland Sueton. 148 He bashed not to kisse him even in the open Theater. 1610 ― Camden's Brit. (1637) 309 Bash not, but deigne (I pray) to be my Soveraigne Ladie deere. |
▪ II. bash, v.2
(bæʃ)
[Chiefly northern; perhaps from Scand.; cf. Sw. basa to baste, whip, flog, lash, Da. baske to beat, strike, cudgel. But possibly onomatopoetic, with the b of beat, bang, and the termination of dash, gash, gnash, hash, lash, pash, smash, etc.]
1. To strike with a heavy blow that tends to beat or smash in the surface struck: a. trans. Also to bash up (the edge or point of an instrument).
| 1790 A. Wilson Pack Wks. 26 Fir'd wi' indignance I turn'd round, And basht wi' mony a fung The Pack, that day. 1834 M. Scott Cruise Midge (1863) 200 The callant has..bashed my neb as saft as pap. 1882 Pall Mall G. 24 Apr. 2/2 A proposition to ‘smash’ or ‘bash’ in the tall hats aforesaid. |
b. refl. (of a hen beating her wings in the dust.)
| 1641 Best Farm. Bks. (1856) 110 The henne..will alsoe bashe her in the dust, and so oftentimes crush them to death. |
c. absol. or intr. (with at.)
| 1833 M. Scott Tom Cringle xi. (1859) 255 The gun is loaded. The negro continued to bash at it with all his might. |
d. to bash up, to beat (someone) repeatedly; to thrash or batter. Cf. to beat up s.v. beat v.1 40 f. colloq.
| 1954 Willans & Searle How to be Topp iv. 48 Give him a helping hand and do not bash him up. 1959 I. & P. Opie Lore & Lang. Schoolch. x. 195 ‘Hand it over—or else’,—‘I'll bash you up’ (the most usual suggestion). 1963 Daily Tel. 30 Aug. 19/3 Discussing intimidation, the lawyer says: ‘How would you advise a wretched statutory tenant who is threatened he will be {oqq}bashed up{cqq} by a rough-looking individual on the staircase one night?’ 1974 Age (Melbourne) 12 Oct. 12/2 I'll get Rourky to bash you up. I'll ask Colin O'Rourke to hit you in return for dosh. |
2. The verb-stem is used adverbially with other verbs. Cf. bang v.1 8.
| 1833 M. Scott Tom Cringle xviii. (1859) 511 A fine preserved Pine Apple flew bash on Isaac Shingle's sharp snout. |
3. In colloq. phr. to bash on, to persevere; to pursue a course of action regardless of difficulties, criticism, etc. (In quot. 1950 as attrib. phr.)
| 1950 Leader Mag. 4 Mar. 15/3 Even on a muddy, badly surfaced ground, the bash-on spirit of the riders and the keenness of the supporters is thrilling. 1965 R. Sheckley Game of X (1966) xxii. 155, I didn't like the sound of that; but..there was nothing to do but bash on. 1986 Financial Times 11 Aug. 4/6 Over charities, the Government ‘bashed on with something that would have turned charity tax law upside down,’ he said. |
▪ III. bash, v.3 local.
(bæʃ)
‘To fill with rubbish the spaces from which the coal has been worked away’ (Gresley Gloss. Coal-m. 1883). Hence ˈbashing vbl. n.
| 1905 Daily Chron. 26 June 6/5 A ‘bashing’—a barricade of coal and rubbish. |
▪ IV. bash, n.
[f. bash v.2; cf. Sw. bas whipping, beating, Da. bask stripe, blow.]
1. A heavy blow that beats or smashes in a surface (orig. Sc.). Now in gen. use, a heavy blow.
| 1805 J. Nicol Poems I. 36 (Jam.) An' gae her a desperate bash on The chafts. c 1817 Hogg Tales I. 17 (Jam.) Then, giving two or three bashes on the face, he left me. 1949 C. Fry Lady's not for Burning 86 If he wants to fight me, let him come out in the garden. Whatever happens I shall have one bash at him. 1959 Listener 8 Jan. 77/1 A weak, wan lad..escaped with no worse than a bash and a hang-over. |
2. In various slang uses: (i) an attempt, esp. in to have a bash (at); (ii) a good time; a spree; a party (see quot. 1948, Amer. Speech) U.S.; phr. on the bash, on a drinking bout (app. Sc. and N.Z.); also (examples are U.K.), soliciting as a prostitute (quots. 1936 and 19591); (iii) in Jazz, a ‘jam session’ (only U.S.?).
| 1901 G. Douglas House with Green Shutters xxi. 222 Let us go out and do a bash! 1919 J. Buchan Mr. Standfast viii. 167 Ye ken what a man's like when he's been on the bash. 1924 Kelso Chron. 12 Sept. 2/8 The village tailor..had an unfortunate weakness for getting terribly ‘on the bash’ perhaps twice a year. 1936 J. Curtis Gilt Kid ii. 23 Most of the time she's on the bash round the flash bars. 1948 Amer. Speech XXIII. 219 One could store or stash food for a big bash. This involved eating two or three days' rations at one time. 1948 D. Ballantyne in Landfall II. 111 He figured what he spent on beer weeknights would total no more than what most jokers spent on their Saturday bashes. 1948 Partridge Dict. Forces' Slang 1939–45 11 Have a bash at, to make an attempt. 1949 L. Feather Inside Be-Bop vi. 42 One jazz concert promoter, who in previous years had presented nothing but Dixieland bashes. 1950 Home (U.S.) 2 Apr. 8 (Wentworth & Flexner), Some of these bashes were impromptu at 4 in the morning by trumpet players. 1950 C. MacInnes To Victors the Spoils I. 135 He's decided to have a bash at tightening up the discipline. 1957 J. Braine Room at Top xxiii. 192 I'll have a bash just the same. 1957 I. Murdoch Sandcastle iii. 38 Come on..have a bash. You can translate the first word anyway. 1959 Streetwalker iii. 58 From the hours you keep..I'd say you were on the bash. 1959 M. Shadbolt New Zealanders 156 Jack and I went on the bash every Saturday... Drink all day and pay a visit to the local house at night. 1959 Times 26 May 12/6 Tried some anti-rust oil? Worth a bash. 1961 A. Berkman Singers' Gloss. Show Business 7 Bash, a ball; party. |