appair

English

Etymology

From Middle English apeiren, from Old French empeirier (modern French empirer). See impair.

Verb

appair (third-person singular simple present appairs, present participle appairing, simple past and past participle appaired)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To make worse; to injure or damage.
   • 1643, William Prynne, The Soveraigne Power of Parliaments and Kingdomes:

     The ancient lawes, uſages, cuſtomes, and franchiſes of the Realm, have been, and be greatly appaired, blemiſhed, and confounded […]

2. (intransitive, obsolete) To become impaired; to grow worse.
   • 1510, The Summoning of Everyman, Everyman's Library (1909):

     I see the more that I them forbear
     

     The worse they be from year to year;
     

     All that liveth appaireth fast
     

Anagrams

• Rappai