| 释义 |
† embase, v. Obs. or arch.|ɛmˈbeɪs|
Forms: 6–7 embace (7 -bass), imbace, -base, 7– embase.
[f. en- + Fr. bas, base a. (OF. had embaissier:—late L. type *imbassiāre, of equivalent formation.]
1. a. To lower (physically). b. To give a lower direction to.
1605Sylvester Du Bartas i. iii. I. 92 When God..Embast the Valleys and embost the Hills. 1595Spenser Sonn. xii, And to the ground her eie-lids low embaseth. 1644Nye Gunnery (1670) 29 The Gunner..must..imbase the mouth [of his gun].
c. fig.
a1564Becon Art. Chr. Relig. proved (1844) 433 At the Lord's table let us not embase ourselves to look upon the bread and cup that be there set forth. 1693South Serm. 288 Embased the very standard of good and evil.
2. To lower in rank, dignity, office, condition, or character; to humble, humiliate; often with the sense of degrade, make base. Also refl.
1571Golding Calvin on Ps. xxiii. 1 Disdeyneth not to embace himself..for our sake. 1587― De Mornay xxiv. 365 To violate or imbace the thing that was helde to be so holy. 1612Drayton Poly-olb. ix. 137 With the tearme of Welsh, the English now embase The nobler Britans name. 1642Life Dk. Buckhm. in Select. fr. Harl. Misc. (1793) 278 No..ignoble end..which may..embase the freedom of my poor judgment. 1737L. Clarke Hist. Bible ii. (1740) 131 Continual servitude of body had imbased their Spirits. 1820L. Hunt Indicator No 64 (1822) II. 96 It is pure self-revolving selfishness that ‘embases and embrutes’. 1844[see embasing ppl. a.]
3. To lower (coin or commodities) in price or value. transf. and fig. To take away the value of, depreciate, discredit, undervalue.
1577Holinshed Chron. III. 1192/1 The teston coined for twelue pence, and in the reigne of king Edward embased by proclamation to six pence. 1594R. Parsons Confer. Success i. v. 120 That no man may think we meane to imbase that which we esteme in so high degree. 1657Reeve God's Plea 41 This is to vilipend greatnesse, or to embase noblenesse. 1668Child Disc. Trade (ed. 4) 243 As the high rate of Usury doth imbase lands. 1698South Serm. ix. (1843) II. 134 A temper of mind which will certainly embase and discommend all our services.
4. To debase (coin) by a mixture of alloy; lit. and fig. Said also of the alloy.
1551[see embasing vbl. n.] 1594West Symbol. ii. §216 Embase, shave, file, clippe, wast or empaire the currant coin. 1627Feltham Resolves i. xviii. Wks. (1677) 32 It will imbase even the purest metal in man. 1679Burnet Hist. Ref. (1865) I. 16 To raise money, not by embasing the coin, but by embasing the Christian religion. 1701W. Wotton Hist. Rome 314 He embased the current coin. 1752[see embasing vbl. n.]
b. transf. and fig. To take away the excellence of; to corrupt, impair, vitiate.
1625Bacon Ess. Love (Arb.) 449 Wanton love Corrupteth, and Imbaseth it. a1626― Sylva §575 The Vertue of the Seed..in a Tree..is embased by the Ground, to which it is removed. 1655W. Gurnall Chr. in Arm. ix. (1669) 56/2 Sever'd from that soil and dross which embassed it. c1660South Serm. (1715) I. 37 A Pleasure embased with no appendant Sting. 1720Welton Suffer. Son of God I. ix. 225 Those Vanitys..Embase my Nature. |