abet
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
a·bet
(ə-bĕt′)tr.v. a·bet·ted, a·bet·ting, a·bets
1. To approve, encourage, and support (an action or a plan of action); urge and help on.
2. To urge, encourage, or help (a person): abetted the thief in robbing the bank.
[Middle English abetten, from Old French abeter, to entice : a-, to (from Latin ad-; see ad-) + beter, to bait; see bheid- in Indo-European roots.]
a·bet′ment n.
a·bet′tor, a·bet′ter n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
abet
(əˈbɛt)vb, abets, abetting or abetted
(tr) to assist or encourage, esp in crime or wrongdoing
[C14: from Old French abeter to lure on, entice, from beter to bait]
aˈbetment, aˈbettal n
aˈbetter, aˈbettor n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
a•bet
(əˈbɛt)v.t. a•bet•ted, a•bet•ting.
to encourage, support, or countenance by aid or approval, usu. in wrongdoing.
[1275–1325; Middle English abette, Old English *ābǣtan to hound on =ā- a-3 + bǣtan to bait, akin to bite]
a•bet′ment, a•bet′tal, n.
a•bet′tor, a•bet′ter, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
abet
Past participle: abetted
Gerund: abetting
| Imperative |
|---|
| abet |
| abet |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. |  abet - assist or encourage, usually in some wrongdoingassist - act as an assistant in a subordinate or supportive function |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
abet
verb
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
abet
verbTo give support or assistance:
Idioms: give a hand, give a leg up.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يُسَاعِدُ عَلَى جَرِيمَه
navádětpodporovat
opmuntretilskynde
avustaatukeaylläpitääyllyttää
adjutarincitarincorariar
aîstoîa, hvetja
kurstytipadėti
kūdīt
arka vermekteşvik etmek
khíchtiếp tayxúi bẩyxúi giục
abet
[əˈbet] VT [+ criminal] → incitar; [+ crime] → instigarto abet sb in a crime → ser cómplice de algn en un delito
see also aid 2
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
abet
[əˈbɛt] vtCollins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
abet
(əˈbet) – past tense, past participle aˈbetted – verb to help or encourage to do something wrong. He abetted his cousin in robbing the bank.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.