debauch

debauch
debauch (v.) 1590s, from M.Fr. débaucher "entice from work or duty," from O.Fr. desbaucher "to lead astray," supposedly lit. "to trim (wood) to make a beam" (from bauch "beam," from Frankish balk; from the same Germanic source that yielded English BALK (Cf. balk)). A sense of "shaving" something away, perhaps, but the root is also said to be a word meaning "workshop," which gets toward the notion of "to lure someone off the job;" either way the sense evolution is unclear.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Debauch — De*bauch , v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. {Debauched}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Debauching}.] [F. d[ e]baucher, prob. originally, to entice away from the workshop; pref. d[ e] (L. dis or de) + OF. bauche, bauge, hut, cf. F. bauge lair of a wild boar; prob.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Debauch — De*bauch , n. [Cf. F. d[ e]bauche.] 1. Excess in eating or drinking; intemperance; drunkenness; lewdness; debauchery. [1913 Webster] The first physicians by debauch were made. Dryden. [1913 Webster] 2. An act or occasion of debauchery. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • debauch — I verb abuse, be intemperate, corrumpere, corrupt, debase, degenerate, degrade, depravare, deprave, despoil, dissipate, lead astray, molest, pervert, ruin, stuprate, sully, violate, vitiare, vitiate II index abuse ( …   Law dictionary

  • debauch — corrupt, deprave, pervert, *debase, vitiate Analogous words: *injure, harm, damage, spoil, mar: seduce, inveigle, decoy, tempt, *lure: pollute, defile, taint (see CONTAMINATE) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • debauch — [v] deprave, corrupt abuse, bastardize, bestialize, betray, brutalize, debase, defile, deflower, demoralize, fornicate, fraternize, go bad*, go to hell*, intrigue, inveigle, lead astray*, live in the gutter*, lure, pervert, pollute, ravish, ruin …   New thesaurus

  • debauch — ► VERB ▪ corrupt morally. ► NOUN ▪ a bout of excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures. ORIGIN Old French desbaucher turn away from one s duty …   English terms dictionary

  • debauch — [dē bôch′, dibôch′] vt. [Fr débaucher < OFr desbaucher, to seduce, orig., to separate (branches from trunk) < des , away from + bauch, beam, tree trunk < Frank * balko, beam: for IE base see BALK] to lead astray morally; corrupt; deprave …   English World dictionary

  • debauch —    to copulate with extramaritally    Literally, to corrupt:     Men so disorder d, so debauch d and bold, That this our court, infected with their manners, Shows like a riotous inn. (Shakespeare, King Lear)    Boswell, who expressed the view… …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • debauch — debaucher, n. debauchment, n. /di bawch /, v.t. 1. to corrupt by sensuality, intemperance, etc.; seduce. 2. to corrupt or pervert; sully: His honesty was debauched by the prospect of easy money. 3. Archaic. to lead away, as from allegiance or… …   Universalium

  • debauch — de•bauch [[t]dɪˈbɔtʃ[/t]] v. t. 1) to corrupt (another s virtue or chastity) by sensuality, intemperance, etc.; seduce 2) to subvert (honesty, integrity, or the like) 3) archaic to corrupt (loyalty or the like) 4) to indulge in debauchery 5) a… …   From formal English to slang

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