Dictionary

debauch en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /dɪˈbɔːt͡ʃ/

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ ▲ Proto-Indo-European *trísinflu. Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Old French des- Old French bauche Proto-Italic *-āzi ▲ Latin -ereinflu. Latin -āre Old French -ier Old French desbauchier Middle French desbaucherbor. English debauch 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.

Meanings

1. An individual act of debauchery.
   • I rose by candle-light, and consumed, in the intensest application, the hours which every other individual of our party wasted in enervating slumbers, from the hesternal dissipation or debauch. 1828, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter XX, in Pelham; or, The Adventures of a Gentleman. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 196:
   • Greene died of a debauch; and Marlowe, the gracer of tragedians, perished in an ignominious brawl. 1902, Thomas Ebenezer Webb, The Mystery of William Shakespeare: A Summary of Evidence, page 242:
   • [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. 1785, William Cowper, “Book IV. The Winter Evening.”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC, page 161:
   • [T]he room probably was one which he actually used for opium debauches. 1913, Sax Rohmer, chapter 25, in The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu:
   • As I supported him towards his lodgings I could see that he was not only suffering from the effects of a recent debauch, but that a long course of intemperance had affected his nerves and his brain. 1884, Arthur Conan Doyle, John Barrington Cowles:
2. An orgy.
   • [T]here were always the gay and silly sensual young girls that Yossarian had found and brought there and those that the sleepy enlisted men returning to Pianosa after their own exhausting seven-day debauch had brought there. 1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, chapter 13, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC:
   • The flowers, oppressive to the eyes, blazed with not a petal stirring, in a debauch of sun. 1934 October, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], Burmese Days, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, →OCLC; republished as chapter 2, in Burmese Days (ebook no. 0200051h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, November 2015:

Forms

Translations (21)

ru дебо́ш (act of debauchery) · ru разгу́л (act of debauchery) · fi turmeleminen (act of debauchery) · bg развра́т (act of debauchery) · eo diboĉi (act of debauchery) · sv utsvävning (act of debauchery) · de Schwelgen (act of debauchery) · fr débauche (act of debauchery) · ro destrăbălare (act of debauchery) · es corrupción (act of debauchery) · sv orgie (act of debauchery) · de Prasserei (act of debauchery) · mk ра́зврат (act of debauchery) · de Ausschweifung (act of debauchery) · ru развра́т (act of debauchery) · gd misg (act of debauchery) · de Schwelgerei (act of debauchery) · sv excess (act of debauchery) · el ακολασία (act of debauchery) · de Prassen (act of debauchery) · cmn 放蕩 /放荡 (act of debauchery)

debauch en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio
• /dɪˈbɔːt͡ʃ/

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ ▲ Proto-Indo-European *trísinflu. Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Old French des- Old French bauche Proto-Italic *-āzi ▲ Latin -ereinflu. Latin -āre Old French -ier Old French desbauchier Middle French desbaucherbor. English debauch 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.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To morally corrupt (someone); to seduce.
   • 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. 1727, Daniel Defoe, chapter 9, in The History of the Devil:
2. (transitive) To debase (something); to lower the value of (something).
   • [S]aving of all kinds is pointless when interest is microscopic and state-sponsored inflation is debauching the currency. 2014 March 23, Peter Hitchens, “We're being dragged into a new Cold War by a puffed-up bullfrog (and I don't mean President Putin)”, in Peter Hitchens's Blog at The Mail on Sunday (UK):
   • 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. 1685, Matthew Prior, “A Satyr on the modern Translators”, in H. Bunker Wright, Monroe K. Spears, editors, The Literary Works of Matthew Prior, Second edition, volume I, Oxford: Clarendon Press, published 1971, page 19:
3. (intransitive) To indulge in revelry.

Forms

Deriveds

debauchness · debauchee · debaucher · debauchment · debauchery

Relateds

balk

Synonyms

devalue · devalue · devaluate · vitiate · demoralize · warp · unmoralize · party · elevate · lead astray · debauch · sophisticate · pervert · abase · suborn · depreciate · degrade · file · avile · sophisticate · corrupt · degrade · immoralize · dirty · detort · adulterate · subvert · lead astray · carouse · tamper · celebrate · seduce · preposterate · debauch · revel · abase · immoralize · vitiate · debase · pollute

Translations (33)

bg развалям ((transitive) to debase something) · bg изопачавам ((transitive) to debase something) · sv korrumpera ((transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce) · el εκφυλίζω ((transitive) to debase something) · el διαφθείρω ((transitive) to debase something) · ru унижа́ть ((transitive) to debase something) · fi turmella ((transitive) to debase something) · mi whakatautauhea ((transitive) to debase something) · nl ontwaarden ((transitive) to debase something) · de verderben ((transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce) · mi whakatautauhea ((transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce) · de verkommen (to indulge in revelry) · de entwerten ((transitive) to debase something) · de verführen ((transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce) · el διαφθείρω ((transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce) · sv devalvera ((transitive) to debase something) · bg покварявам ((transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce) · fi turmella ((transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce) · de korrumpieren ((transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce) · ru развращать ((transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce) · nl ontaarden ((transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce) · cmn 使墮落 /使堕落 ((transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce) · bg развращавам ((transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce) · fr débaucher ((transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce) · de schwelgen (to indulge in revelry) · mi whakatautauwhea ((transitive) to debase something) · pl zdeprawować ((transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce) · de verschlechtern ((transitive) to debase something) · de verkommen lassen ((transitive) to debase something) · sv fördärva ((transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce) · de prassen (to indulge in revelry) · sv depravera ((transitive) to morally corrupt someone; to seduce) · de abwerten ((transitive) to debase something)