v. Obs. or arch. Forms: 6–7 embace (7 -bass), imbace, base, 7– embase. [f. EN- + Fr. bas, BASE a. (OF. had embaissier:—late L. type *imbassiāre, of equivalent formation.]
1. a. To lower (physically). b. To give a lower direction to.
1605. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. iii. I. 92. When God … Embast the Valleys and embost the Hills.
1595. Spenser, Sonn., xii. And to the ground her eie-lids low embaseth.
1644. Nye, Gunnery (1670), 29. The Gunner … must … imbase the mouth [of his gun].
c. fig.
a. 1564. Becon, Art. Chr. Relig. proved (1844), 433. At the Lord’s table let us not embase ourselves to look upon the bread and cup that be there set forth.
1693. South, Serm., 288. Embased the very standard of good and evil.
2. To lower in rank, dignity, office, condition or character; to humble, humiliate; often with the sense of degrade, make base. Also refl.
1571. Golding, Calvin on Ps. xxiii. 1. Disdeyneth not to embace himself … for our sake. Ibid. (1587), De Mornay, xxiv. 417. To violate or imbace the thing that was hild to be so holy.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., ix. 137. Till with the tearme of Welsh, the English now embase The nobler Britains name.
1642. Life Dk. Buckhm., in Select. fr. Harl. Misc. (1793), 278/1. No servile or ignoble end in my present labour, which may, on either side, restrain or embase the freedom of my poor judgment.
1737. L. Clarke, Hist. Bible, II. (1740), 131. Continual servitude of body had imbased their Spirits.
1820. L. Hunt, Indicator, No 64 (1822), II. 96. It is pure self-revolving selfishness that ‘embases and embrutes.’
1844. [see EMBASING ppl. a.]
3. To lower (coin or commodities) in price or value. transf. and fig. To take away the value of, depreciate, discredit, undervalue.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., III. 1192/1. The teston coined for twelue pence, and in the reigne of king Edward embased by proclamation to six pence.
1594. R. Parsons, Confer. Success, I. v. 120. That no man may think we meane to imbase that which we esteme in so high degree.
1657. Reeve, God’s Plea, 41. This is to vilipend greatnesse, or to embase noblenesse.
1668. Child, Disc. Trade (ed. 4), 243. As the high rate of Usury doth imbase lands.
1698. South, Serm., ix. (1843), II. 134. A temper of mind which will certainly embase and discommend all our services.
4. To debase (coin) by a mixture of alloy; lit. and fig. Said also of the alloy.
1551. [see EMBASING vbl. sb.]
1594. West, Symbol., II. § 216. Embase, shave, file, clippe, wast or empaire the currant coin.
1627. Feltham, Resolves, I. xviii. Wks. (1677), 32. It will imbase even the purest metal in man.
1679. Burnet, Hist. Ref. (1865), I. 16. To raise money, not by embasing the coin, but by embasing the Christian religion.
1701. W. Wotton, Hist. Rome, 314. He embased the current Coin of the Empire, by bringing down the Silver and Gold considerably lower than the former value.
1752. [see EMBASING vbl. sb.]
b. transf. and fig. To take away the excellence of; to corrupt, impair, vitiate.
1625. Bacon, Ess. Love (Arb.), 449. Wanton love Corrupteth, and Imbaseth it. Ibid. (a. 1626), Sylva, § 575. The Vertue of the Seed … in a Tree … is embased by the Ground, to which it is removed.
1655. Gurnall, Chr. in Arm., ix. (1669), 56/2. Sever’d from that soil and dross which embassed it.
c. 1660. South, Serm. (1715), I. 37. A Pleasure embased with no appendant Sting.
1720. Welton, Suffer. Son of God, I. ix. 225. Those Vanitys … which … Embase My Nature.
