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“debauch”
debauch (di BAWCH) (verb), debauches; debauched; debauching
1. To persuade someone to behave in a corrupt way: The wicked old man attempted to debauch his nephew by encouraging him to commit illegal activities.
2. To seduce someone to participate in unacceptable activities: The scandal sheets are full of stories of efforts to debauch young people by some adults.
3. To participate in a wild get-together that may involve inappropriate, loud, and excessive behavior: The rowdy gang gathered in the local pub to debauch in celebration of winning the pennant.
4. To cause a change in the value or quality of something: The vandal debauched the delicate painting by splashing green paint all over it.
5. Etymology: from Old French, "to leave work, to be idle; to turn someone away from work; to entice away, to lead astray".
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2. To seduce someone to participate in unacceptable activities: The scandal sheets are full of stories of efforts to debauch young people by some adults.
3. To participate in a wild get-together that may involve inappropriate, loud, and excessive behavior: The rowdy gang gathered in the local pub to debauch in celebration of winning the pennant.
4. To cause a change in the value or quality of something: The vandal debauched the delicate painting by splashing green paint all over it.
5. Etymology: from Old French, "to leave work, to be idle; to turn someone away from work; to entice away, to lead astray".
A term coined from the Latin prefix de-, "from, away from, down from, out of" + French balc, bauch, bau, "beam" and it went through the following phases of development; "to rough down or to trim timber (wood) to make a beam; then, to split, to cleave; to separate; to turn someone away from his or her work or duty; to entice away; to lead astray".
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This entry is located in the following unit:
English Words in Action, Group D
(page 1)
To morally corrupt by persuading someone to behave in an immoral or an illegal way. (1)
This entry is located in the following unit:
Word a Day Revisited Index of Cartoons Illustrating the Meanings of Words
(page 27)