Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- To lower; degrade; depress or hollow out.
- To lower in value; debase; vitiate; deprave; impair.
- To lower in nature, rank, or estimation; degrade.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb obsolete To bring down or lower, as in position, value, etc.; to debase; to degrade; to deteriorate.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb obsolete Physically to
lower . - verb obsolete, transitive To bring down or
lower in position, status, etc.; todegrade ,humiliate . - verb obsolete To
lower thevalue of (a coin, commodity etc.); todebase (a coin) withalloy .
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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[386] The verb "embase" or "imbase" is frequently found in the sense of
The Works of Christopher Marlowe, Vol. 3 (of 3) Christopher Marlowe 1578
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Scriptures, as they suppose, but much embase them.
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All vain, luxuriant allegories, rhyming cadencies of similary words, are such pitiful embellishments of speech, as serve for nothing but to embase divinity; and the use of them, but like the plastering of marble, or the painting of gold, the glory of which is to be seen, and to shine by no other lustre but their own.
Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions. Vol. III. 1634-1716 1823
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For how popular and plausible soever the name of protestant may sound, it is not that which can or will credit or commend fanaticism; but fanaticism will be sure to embase and discredit that.
Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions. Vol. IV. 1634-1716 1823
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The next and most effectual way to destroy religion, is to embase the teachers and dispensers of it.
Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions. Vol. I. 1634-1716 1823
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Again, if a man be tempted to any wicked or vile act by the example of some great, powerful, or illustrious sinner, let him learn, instead of admiring and following the greatness of the person, to abhor the baseness of the practice, as knowing that the man can never authorize the sin, but the sin will be sure to embase the man.
Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions. Vol. IV. 1634-1716 1823
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The way to destroy religion is to embase the dispensers of it, 103. which is done, 1.
Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions. Vol. I. 1634-1716 1823
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Which opinion alone were enough to embase the very righteousness of angels in the sight of God so far, as to render it not only vain, but odious; and to turn the best of sacrifices into the worst of sins.
Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions. Vol. VII. 1634-1716 1823
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I proceed now to the second, viz. That the next, and most effectual way to destroy religion, is to embase the teachers and dispensers of it.
Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions. Vol. I. 1634-1716 1823
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Made to amaze weake mens confused skil: and this worlds worthlesse glory to embase, what pen, what pencill can expresse her fill?
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