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as·suage

(ə-swāj)

tr.v. as·suaged, as·suag·ing, as·suag·es

1. To make (something burdensome or painful) less intense or severe: assuage her grief. See Synonyms at relieve.

2. To satisfy or appease (hunger or thirst, for example).

3. To appease or calm: assuaged his critics.

[Middle English asswagen, from Old French assuagier, from Vulgar Latin *assuāviāre : Latin ad-, ad- + Latin suāvis, sweet, delightful; see swād- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

as·suagement n.

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

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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