debauch

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[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

1590s, from Middle French debaucher (entice from work or duty), from Old French desbaucher (to lead astray), from de- + bauch (beam), from Frankish balko,[1] from Proto-Germanic *balkô, from Proto-Indo-European *bhelg- (beam, plank); latter origin of balk.

Evolution of sense unclear; may be literally “to shave/trim wood to make a beam” or may be “to leave/lure someone from a workshop”, Frankish balk perhaps also meaning “workshop”.

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

debauch (plural debauches)

  1. An act of debauchery.
  2. An orgy.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

debauch (third-person singular simple present debauches, present participle debauching, simple past and past participle debauched)

  1. (transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce
  2. (transitive) to debase something

[edit] Translations

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Related terms

[edit] References

  1. ^debauch” in the Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper, 2001
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