Debauch
Pronunciation
- IPA: /dɪˈbÉ”Ët͡ʃ/
- Rhymes: -É”Ëtʃ
Origin
1590s, from Middle French desbaucher ("entice from work or duty"), from Old French desbaucher ("to lead astray"), from des- + bauch ("beam"), from Frankish *balko,
Online Etymology Dictionary
from Proto-Germanic *balkô, from Proto-Indo-European *bhelg- ("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 workshopâ€, Frankish *balko perhaps also meaning “workshopâ€.
Full definition of debauch
Noun
debauch
(plural debauches)- An individual act of debauchery.
- 1913, Sax Rohmer, The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu, ch. 25:The room probably was one which he actually used for opium debauches.
- An orgy.
- 1955, Joseph Heller, Catch-22, ch. 13:There 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.
Verb
- (transitive) To morally corrupt (someone); to seduce.
- 1727, Daniel Defoe, The History of the Devil, ch. 9: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.
- (transitive) To debase (something); to lower the value of (something).
- 2014 March 23, Peter Hitchens, "Peter Hitchens's Blog: 23 March 2014 1:41 AM," The Mail on Sunday (UK) (retrieved 18 April 2014)Saving of all kinds is pointless when interest is microscopic and state-sponsored inflation is debauching the currency.