embase

present singular third person embases · participle present embasing · participle past embased · past embased · alternative obsolete imbase

1. obsoletetransitiveTo lower physically.

   [God had] Embast the valleys, and embost the hills.

   1608, [Guillaume de Salluste] Du Bartas, translated by Josuah Sylvester, Du Bartas His Deuine Weekes and Workes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Humfrey Lownes [and are to be sold by Arthur Iohnson […]], published 1611, →OCLC

2. archaictransitiveTo bring down or lower in position, status, etc.; to degrade, humiliate.

   Such pitiful embellishments of speech as serve for nothing but to embase divinity.

   1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London

   1 more example

   And either vowd with all their power and witt To let not others honour be defaste Of friend or foe, who ever it embaste […]

   1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

   Synonyms: debase, humble, relegate, abase, bring down to size, cut down to size, debase, defame

3. archaictransitiveTo lower the value of (a coin, commodity etc.); to debase (a coin) with alloy.

   Alloy in coin of gold […] may make the metal work the better, but it embaseth it.

   1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Truth”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC

   Synonyms: abase, alloy, sophisticate, abase, adulter, adulterate, adulterize, alloy