▪ I. debate, n.1
(dɪˈbeɪt)
Also 4–5 debaat, 4–6 debat, 5–6 Sc. debait.
[ME. debat, a. F. debat (13th c. in Littré) = Pr. debat, It. dibatto, Romanic deriv. of the verb: see debate v.1]
1. a. Strife, contention, dissension, quarrelling, wrangling; a quarrel. at debate: at strife, at variance. Obs. or arch.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 9684 (Cott.) Bituix mi sisters es a debat. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 3473 To accorde þam þat er at debate. c 1386 Chaucer Friar's T. Prol. 24 Ye schold been heende And curteys..In company we wol haue no debaat. 1481 Caxton Godfrey clxxix. 263 Whan..alle the debates [had ben] appeased that were emong them. 1535 Coverdale Luke xii. 51 Thynke ye that I am come to brynge peace vpon earth—I tell you nay but rather debate. 1536 Bellenden Cron. Scot. (1821) I. 61 Thus rais ane schameful debait betwix thir two brethir. 1612 Rowlands Knaue of Harts 24 To..set good friends and neighbors at debate. 1715 Pope Iliad iii. 321 To seal the truce and end the dire debate. 1882 J. Parker Apost. Life I. 138 The spirit of debate is opposed to the spirit of love. |
| comb. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 115 Debate maker, or baratour, incentor. |
† b. Physical strife, fight, conflict. Obs.
| 15.. Felon Sowe Rokeby in R. Bell Anc. Poems Peasantry (1857), Hee wist that there had bin debate. a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) R v b, Their debate was so cruell, that there was slaine v. capitaynes. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. viii. 54 The whole debate, Which that straunge knight for him sustained had. |
† c. to make debate: to make opposition or resistance. Obs.
| c 1350 Will. Palerne 4380 Þe werwolf was ful glad of Williams speche..And made no more debat in no maner wice. 1500–20 Dunbar Freris of Berwik 535 Se this be done and mak no moir debait. c 1565 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (1728) 10 Or else, if they made no debate, without consideration and pity would cut their throats. |
2. a. Contention in argument; dispute, controversy; discussion; esp. the discussion of questions of public interest in Parliament or in any assembly.
| 1393 Gower Conf. III. 348 Tho was betwene my prest and me Debate and great perplexete. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 21 He is of highe wordes..wherfor y praie you..that ye take no debate with hym. 1548 Hall Chron. 188 b, Wherefore the Commons after long debate, determined to send the speaker of the Parliament to the kinges highness. 1561 T. Norton Calvin's Inst. iv. 56 If there happen debate about any doctrine. 1640 in Rushw. Hist. Coll. (1692) iii. I. 58 Thursday next is appointed for the Debate of the New Canons. 1727 Swift Gulliver ii. iii. 119 After much debate, they concluded unanimously that [etc.]. 1774 J. Bryant Mythol. II. 431 Sor-Apis had another meaning: and this was the term in debate. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. 155 An account..which gives a very high notion of his talents for debate. 1883 Gilmour Mongols xvii. 207 Difficulties..welcomed rather as subjects for debate. |
b. (with a and pl.) A controversy or discussion; spec. a formal discussion of some question of public interest in a legislative or other assembly.
| c 1500 Three Kings Sons 95 Thise debates that were made, of good wille, and by noon hate. 1648 Duke of Hamilton in H. Papers (Camden) 245, I shall not trouble your Lo. now with the debats. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 17 ¶1 A full Debate upon Publick Affairs in the Senate. 1880 M{supc}Carthy Own Times IV. lxii. 391 The debate, which lasted four nights, was brilliant and impassioned. |
c. (Freq. in French form débat.) A type of literary composition, taking the form of a discussion or disputation, commonly found in the vernacular medieval poetry of many European countries, as well as in medieval Latin.
| 1841 T. Wright Latin Poems W. Mapes 346 (title) Debate between the Body and the Soul. 1897 G. Saintsbury Flourishing of Romance v. 203 A form so popular with the French trouvères as the débat. 1903 E. K. Chambers Mediæval Stage I. iv. 79 The débat is a kind of poetical controversy put into the mouths of two types or two personified abstractions, each of which pleads the cause of its own superiority, while in the end the decision is not infrequently referred to an umpire in the fashion familiar in the eclogues of Theocritus. Ibid. II. xxiii. 153 This débat-like theme is of course familiar in every branch of allegorical literature. 1933 R. Tuve Seasons & Months i. 12 The conflict between the vital and ascetic principles..seen in the Owl and the Nightingale débat. 1939 R. M. Wilson Early M.E. Lit. vii. 168 The Thrush and the Nightingale..is..a compromise between the debate and the lyric. 1963 M. D. Legge Anglo-Norman Lit. xiii. 335 The violent language used by both parties to the debate is, like the language of flytings, not to be taken seriously. |
† 3. Fighting for any one, defence, aid, protection. Sc. Obs. rare. (Cf. debate v. 3.)
| 1581 Sat. Poems Reform. xliii. 61 Quha findis hir [Dame Fortune's] freindship of fauour hes aneuch..How far may Darius bragge of her debait! |
▪ II. † deˈbate, n.2 Obs.
[f. debate v.2]
Lowering; depreciation; degradation.
| c 1460 Sir R. Ros La Belle Dame 456 in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems 67 Yf a lady doo soo grete outrage to shewe pyte, and cause hir owen debate. |
▪ III. debate, v.1
(dɪˈbeɪt)
Also 4 debat. 6–7 Sc. debait.
[a. OF. debat-re, in Pr. desbatre, debatre, Sp. debatir, Pg. debater, It. dibattere, f. Romanic batt-ĕre to fight (see abate, combat), with L. de-, occasionally replaced in Rom. by des-; the sense is rather from L. dis-: cf. discuss, dispute.]
† 1. intr. To fight, contend, strive, quarrel, wrangle. Obs.
| c 1340 Cursor M. 5913 (Trin.) For he wol þus debate on me I shal him drenche in þe see. c 1386 Chaucer Sir Thopas 157 His cote-armour..In which he wold debate. 1490 Caxton How to Die 9, I wyll not debate ne stryue ayenst the. 1530 Palsgr. 508/1, I debate, I stryve..I wyll nat debate with you for so small a mater. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. i. 6 Well could he tourney, and in lists debate. 1665 Manley Grotius' Low C. Warres 592 The Spanish General..together with his Officers, debate of the right thereof against all force. |
| fig. 1393 Gower Conf. II. 300 What shame it is to ben unkinde, Ayein the which reson debateth. c 1600 Shakes. Sonn. xv, Wastefull time debateth with decay To change your day of youth to sullied night. |
2. trans. To contest, dispute; to contend or fight for; to carry on (a fight or quarrel). Obs. or arch.
| c 1489 Caxton Blanchardyn xxiii. 79, I haue debated þ⊇ quarelle ayenst the god of loue. 1597 T. Beard Theatre Gods Judg. (1612) 486 As though they would debate a privat quarrell before his presence. 1697 Dryden æneid (T.), They see the boys and Latian youth debate The martial prizes on the dusty plain. 1813 Scott Rokeby i. xvi, In many a well debated field. 1838 Prescott Ferd. & Is. (1846) I. Introd. 11 The cause of religion was debated with the same ardour in Spain, as on the plains of Palestine. |
† 3. To fight for, defend, protect; also absol. (for refl.) to defend oneself. Sc. Obs.
| 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xxi. 32 Is non so armit in-to plait That can fra truble him debait. 1536 Bellenden Cron. Scot. (1821) I. 46 The residew..fled to the montanis; and debaitit thair miserabill liffis..with scars and hard fude. Ibid. I. 60 Exercit in swift running and wersling, to make thaim the more abill to debait his realme. a 1605 Montgomerie Devotional Poems vi. 64 Then prayers, almes⁓deids, and tearis..Sall mair availl than jaks and spearis, For to debait thee. a 1605 Polwart Flyting w. Montgomerie 745 Now debate, if thou dow. |
4. To dispute about, argue, discuss; esp. to discuss a question of public interest in a legislative or other assembly. (With simple obj. or obj. clause.)
| c 1340 [see 5]. a 1439 in Warkworth's Chron. (Camden) Notes 60 The wyche comyns, after the mater debatet..grawntyt and assentyt to the forseyd premisses. c 1489 Caxton Blanchardyn xxviii. 103 This matere..they sore debatyd emonge them self by many & dyuerse oppynyons. 1550 Crowley Inform. & Petit. 2 Most weyghty mattiers..to be debated..in this present Parliament. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. iii. i. 67 In debating which was best, wee shall part with neither. 1653 Walton Angler ii. 42 The question has been debated among many great Clerks. 1782 Priestley Corrupt. Chr. I. iv. 392 It was debated in the Greek Church. 1874 Green Short Hist. viii. §7. 533 The Lords debated nothing but proposals of peace. |
b. intr. To engage in discussion or argument; esp. in a public assembly. Const. upon, on, † of.
| 1530 Palsgr. 508/1 They have debated upon this mater these fiftene dayes. 1548 [see debating vbl. n.]. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, v. i. 35 Your seuerall suites Haue bin consider'd and debated on. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. v. iii. §60 To grant or deny them [Convocations] Commission to debate of Religion. 1828 D'Israeli Chas. I, I. xi. 307 The Commons..debated in an open committee on certain parts of these speeches. 1835 W. Irving Tour Prairies 183 Beatte..came up while we were debating. |
5. trans. To discuss or consider (with oneself or in one's own mind), deliberate upon.
| c 1340 Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 2179 Debetande with hym-self, quat hit be myȝt. 1530 Palsgr. 508/1, I wyll debate this mater with my selfe, and take counsayle of my pylowe. c 1530 H. Rhodes Bk. Nurture 570 in Babees Bk. (1868) 98 Be not hasty, aunswere to giue before thou it debate. 1623 Conway in Ellis Orig. Lett. i. III. 155 These tender considerations..his Majestie debated some dayes. 1859 Tennyson Enid 1215 Enid..Debating his command of silence given..Held commune with herself. |
b. intr. To deliberate, consider (with oneself).
| 1593 [see debating vbl. n.]. 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, iv. i. 31, I and my Bosome must debate awhile. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxix. 168 From this false doctrine, men are disposed to debate with themselves, [etc.]. 1733 Swift Poems, On Poetry, A founder'd horse will oft debate Before he tries a five-barr'd gate. 1870 Morris Earthly Par. I. i. 371 She sat, Debating in her mind of this and that. |
¶ quasi-pass. const.: debating stands for a-debating = in debate, i.e. the vbl. n. preceded by prep. a- = on, in.
| 1682 D'Urfey Butler's Ghost 149 What cursed Case is now debating? 1788 A. Hughes Henry & Isab. I. 86 This subject was still earnestly debating. |
▪ IV. † debate, v.2 Obs.
[app. f. de- I. 1, 3 + bate, aphetic f. abate.]
1. trans. To abate; to beat down, bring down, lower, reduce, lessen, diminish.
| c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 4727 Þai..prayed for pardoune of þat attaynt, Þair mysdede to debate. 1513 Douglas æneis xiii. iii. 35 Thir Rutilianys..Gan at command debait thar voce and ceis. c 1537 Thersites in Hazl. Dodsley I. 414, I will debate anon..thy bragging cheer. 1564 J. Rastell Confut. Jewell's Serm. 56 That body, which was..with fast debated. |
b. To depreciate, decry; = debase 2.
| 1598 R. Grenewey Tacitus' Ann. vi. viii. (1622) 134 The Parthian put his souldiers in mind of..the renowned nobility of the Arsacides: and..debated Hiberius as ignoble. |
c. To subtract, take away. (absol. in quot.)
| 1658 A. Fox Wurtz' Surg. ii. i. 48 To debate from the one, and to add to the other. |
2. intr. To abate, fall off, grow less.
| a 1400–50 Alexander 2506 (Dubl. MS.) Þe more I meng our maieste þe more it debates. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 2548 Þe werkenes of hir sekenes with in Began to debate and blyn. 1586 W. Webbe Eng. Poetrie (Arb.) 94 Artes..when they are at the full perfection, doo debate and decrease againe. 1657 Tomlinson Renou's Disp. 113 The strength of the symptoms being debated. |