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Webster 1913 Edition


Suborn

Sub-orn′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Suborned
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Suborning
.]
[F.
suborner
, L.
subornare
;
sub
under, secretly +
ornare
to furnish, provide, equip, adorn. See
Ornament
.]
1.
(Law)
To procure or cause to take a false oath amounting to perjury, such oath being actually taken.
Sir W. O. Russell.
2.
To procure privately, or by collusion; to procure by indirect means; to incite secretly; to instigate.
Thou art
suborned
against his honor.
Shakespeare
Those who by despair
suborn
their death.
Dryden.

Webster 1828 Edition


Suborn

SUBORN'

,
Verb.
T.
[L. suborno; sub and orno. The sense of orno, in this word, and the primary sense, is to put on, to furnish. Hence suborno, to furnish privately, that is, to bribe.]
1.
In law, to procure a person to take such a false oath as constitutes perjury.
2.
To procure privately or by collusion.
Or else thou art suborn'd against his honor.
3.
To procure by indirect means.
Those who by despair suborn their death.

Definition 2024


suborn

suborn

English

Verb

suborn (third-person singular simple present suborns, present participle suborning, simple past and past participle suborned)

  1. (transitive) To induce to commit an unlawful or malicious act, or to commit perjury [16th c.]
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Sir W. O. Russell to this entry?)
  2. (transitive) To procure privately, or by collusion; to incite secretly; to instigate.
    • Shakespeare
      Thou art suborned against his honour.
    • Dryden
      Those who by despair suborn their death.

Derived terms

Anagrams