a·bash  ( ə-b ăsh )
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tr.v. a·bashed, a·bash·ing, a·bash·es To make ashamed or uneasy; disconcert. See Synonyms at embarrass.
[Middle English abaishen, to lose one's composure, from Old French esbahir, esbahiss- : es-, intensive pref. (from Latin ex-; see EX-) + baer, to gape; see BAY2.]
a·bashment n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
Indo-European Roots
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