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Debauch

//dɪˈbɔːt͡ʃ// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An individual act of debauchery.

    "[E]v'ry twentieth pace / Conducts the unguarded noſe to ſuch a whiff / Of ſtale debauch forth-iſſuing from the ſtyes / That law has licenſed, as makes temp'rance reel."

  2. 2
    a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity wordnet
  3. 3
    An orgy.

    "The flowers, oppressive to the eyes, blazed with not a petal stirring, in a debauch of sun."

Verb
  1. 1
    To morally corrupt (someone); to seduce. transitive

    "But the Devil had met with too much Success in his first Attempts, not to go on with his general Resolution of debauching the Minds of Men, and bringing them off from God."

  2. 2
    corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality wordnet
  3. 3
    To debase (something); to lower the value of (something). transitive

    "Those who with nine months toil had spoil’d a Play, In hopes of Eating at a full Third day, Justly despairing longer to sustain A craving Stomach from an empty Brain, Have left Stage-Practice, chang’d their old Vocations, Atoning for bad Plays, with worse Translations, And like old Sternhold with laborious spite, Burlesque what nobler Muses better write: Thus while they for their Causes only seem To change the Channel, they corrupt the Stream. So breaking Vintners to increase their Wine, With nauseous Drugs debauch the generous Vine: So barren Gipsies for recruit are said, With Strangers Issue to maintain the Trade; But lest the fair Bantling should be known, A daubing Walnut makes him all their own."

  4. 4
    To indulge in revelry. intransitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

1590s, from Middle French desbaucher (“entice from work or duty”), from Old French desbauchier (“to lead astray”), from des- + bauch (“beam”), from Frankish *balkō, from Proto-Germanic *balkô, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵ- (“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 *balkō perhaps also meaning “workshop”. Possible corruption by way of Anglicised French term bord (“edge, curb”): curb crawling as a synonym for prostitution. Parallels in modern German: Bordsteinschwalbe (“prostitute”, literally “Curb-stone-swallow”). English words bawd, bawdiness may be similarly connected.

Etymology 2

1590s, from Middle French desbaucher (“entice from work or duty”), from Old French desbauchier (“to lead astray”), from des- + bauch (“beam”), from Frankish *balkō, from Proto-Germanic *balkô, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵ- (“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 *balkō perhaps also meaning “workshop”. Possible corruption by way of Anglicised French term bord (“edge, curb”): curb crawling as a synonym for prostitution. Parallels in modern German: Bordsteinschwalbe (“prostitute”, literally “Curb-stone-swallow”). English words bawd, bawdiness may be similarly connected.

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