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Webster 1913 Edition

Abet

A-bet′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Abetted
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Abetting
.]
[OF.
abeter
;
a
(L.
ad
) +
beter
to bait (as a bear), fr. Icel.
beita
to set dogs on, to feed, originally, to cause to bite, fr. Icel.
bīta
to bite, hence to bait, to incite. See
Bait
,
Bet
.]
1.
To instigate or encourage by aid or countenance; – used in a bad sense of persons and acts;
as, to
abet
an ill-doer; to
abet
one in his wicked courses; to
abet
vice; to
abet
an insurrection.
“The whole tribe abets the villany.”
South.
Would not the fool
abet
the stealth,
Who rashly thus exposed his wealth?
Gay.
Our duty is urged, and our confidence
abetted
.
Jer. Taylor.
3.
(Law)
To contribute, as an assistant or instigator, to the commission of an offense.
Syn. – To incite; instigate; set on; egg on; foment; advocate; countenance; encourage; second; uphold; aid; assist; support; sustain; back; connive at.

A-bet′

,
Noun.
[OF.
abet
, fr.
abeter
.]
Act of abetting; aid.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.

Webster 1828 Edition

Abet

ABET'

v.t. [Sax. betan, gebatan; properly to push forward, to advance; hence to amend, to revive, to restore, to make better; and applied to fire, to increase the flame, to excite, to promote. Hence to aid by encouraging or instigating. Hence in Saxon, 'Na bete nan man that fyr.' Let no man bet, [better, excite] the fire, LL. Ina. 78.]
1.
To encourage by aid or countenance, but now used chiefly in a bad sense. 'To abet an opinion,' in the sense of support, is used by Bishop Cumberland; but this use is hardly allowable.
2.
In law, to encourage, counsel, incite or assist in a criminal act.

ABET'

,
Noun.
The act of aiding or encouraging in a crime. [Not used.]

Definition 2024

abet

abet

See also: авет

English

Verb

abet ‎(third-person singular simple present abets, present participle abetting, simple past and past participle abetted)

  1. (obsolete, transitive) To urge on, stimulate (a person to do) something desirable. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) (1390) until the early 17th century.][2]
  2. (transitive) To incite; to assist or encourage by aid or countenance in crime. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).][3]
    • 1823, Ringan Gilhaize, The covenanters, by the author of Annals of the parish:
      Those who would exalt themselves by abetting the strength of the Godless, and the wrength of the oppressors.
  3. (transitive, archaic) To support, countenance, maintain, uphold, or aid (any good cause, opinion, or action); to maintain. [First attested in the late 16th century.][3]
    • 1835, Jeremy Taylor, George Rust, editor, The whole works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor:
      Our duty is urged, and our confidence abetted.
  4. (obsolete) To back up one's forecast of a doubtful issue, by staking money, etc., to bet.

Quotations

  • For usage examples of this term, see Citations:abet.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

abet ‎(plural abets)

  1. (obsolete) Fraud or cunning. [First attested from 1150 to 1350.][3]
  2. (obsolete) An act of abetting; of helping; of giving aid. [First attested from 1350 to 1470.][3]

Anagrams

References

  1. ↑ Elliott K. Dobbie, C. William Dunmore, Robert K. Barnhart, et al. (editors), Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2004 [1998], ISBN 0550142304), page 2
  2. ↑ Elliott K. Dobbie, C. William Dunmore, Robert K. Barnhart, et al. (editors), Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2004 [1998], ISBN 0550142304), page 6
  3. 1 2 3 4 Lesley Brown (editor), The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition (Oxford University Press, 2003 [1933], ISBN 978-0-19-860575-7), page 4

Danish

Verb

abet

  1. past participle of abe

Lombard

Etymology

From Latin habitus ‎(“habit, appearance”).

Noun

abet m

  1. religious habit (clothing)

Etymology

From Middle English abetten, abette, from Old French abeter ‎(“to entice”), from a- ‎(“to”) + beter ‎(“hound on, urge, to bait”), from either Middle Dutch bētan ‎(“incite”), or from Old Norse beita ‎(“to cause to bite, bait, incite”)[1], from Proto-Germanic *baitijaną ‎(“to cause to bite”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- ‎(“to split”). Cognate with Icelandic beita ‎(“to set dogs on", "to feed”).

  • Alternate etymology traces the Middle English and Old French words through Old English *ābǣtan ‎(“to hound on”), from ā- + bǣtan ‎(“to bait”), from the same Proto-Germanic source.
  • See also bait, bet.

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /əˈbɛt/
  • Rhymes: -ɛt

Similar Results