Italian edit

Etymology edit

From Vulgar Latin *abbaclāre, from ab- (off, away) + baculum (stick). By surface analysis, a- +‎ bacchio (rod, stick) +‎ -are (1st conjugation suffix).

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ab.bakˈkja.re/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -are
  • Hyphenation: ab‧bac‧chià‧re

Verb edit

abbacchiàre (first-person singular present abbàcchio, first-person singular past historic abbacchiài, past participle abbacchiàto, auxiliary avére)

  1. (transitive) to beat down with a pole (fruit from a tree)
    Synonym: bacchiare
    • 1864, Emilio Praga, “Egloga – A Bernardino Zembrini [Eclogue – To Bernardino Zembrini]”, in Penombre[1], page 11:
      Come restare? Abbacchiano le noci ¶ Sulle montagne
      How can you remain? On the mountains, they are knocking down the walnuts
  2. (by extension, transitive):
    1. to knock down, to bring down
    2. (figurative, colloquial) to dishearten or depress
      • 1612, Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger, La Tancia[2], published 1615, Fourth Act, Seventh Scene, page 98:
        Amor par vno ſcherzo alle perſone ¶ Quando non vi s’è drento; e vn legato ¶ Da’ ſuo’ vincigli, vinto dalla pena, ¶ Abbacchiato ne va doue’ nel mena.
        Love seems like a joke to people when you're not caught in it; one – tied by Its strings and defeated by the sorrow – disheartened, goes where It leads him.
    3. (figurative, colloquial) to undersell

Conjugation edit

Derived terms edit

Further reading edit

  • abbacchiare in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
  • abbacchiare in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication

Anagrams edit