Wiktionary

lavish

EnglishEdit

WOTD – 14 February 2007

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Middle English *lavish, laves, *lavaus, lavage (“extravagant, wasteful”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Old French lavasse (“torrent of rain”), or derived from Middle English laven (“to pour out”). See lave.

PronunciationEdit

  • IPA(key): /ˈlævɪʃ/
  • Audio (US)
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  • Rhymes: -ævɪʃ

AdjectiveEdit

lavish (comparative lavisher or more lavish, superlative lavishest or most lavish)

  1. Expending or bestowing profusely; profuse; prodigal.
    lavish of money;   lavish of praise
    • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 8, in The Celebrity:
      The day was cool and snappy for August, and the Rise all green with a lavish nature. Now we plunged into a deep shade with the boughs lacing each other overhead, and crossed dainty, rustic bridges over the cold trout-streams, the boards giving back the clatter of our horses' feet: […] .
    • 1977, Agatha Christie, chapter 4, in An Autobiography, part II, London: Collins, →ISBN:
      Mind you, clothes were clothes in those days. There was a great deal of them, lavish both in material and in workmanship.
  2. Superabundant; excessive
    lavish spirits
    lavish meal

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VerbEdit

lavish (third-person singular simple present lavishes, present participle lavishing, simple past and past participle lavished)

  1. (transitive) To give out extremely generously; to squander.
    They lavished money on the dinner.
  2. (transitive) To give out to (somebody) extremely generously.
    They lavished him with praise.

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AnagramsEdit

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