Meaning
To incite; to assist or encourage by aid or countenance in crime.
Etymology
Origin: Old English
From Middle English abetten, abette, from Old French abeter (“to entice”), from a- (“to”) + beter (“hound on, urge, to bait”), either from Middle Dutch bētan (“incite”) or from Old Norse beita (“to cause to bite, bait, incite”), from Proto-Germanic *baitijaną (“to cause to bite”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- (“to split”). Cognate with Icelandic beita (“to set dogs on; to feed”). Alternate etymology traces the Middle English and Old French words through Old English *ābǣtan (“to hound on”), from ā- + bǣtan (“to bait”), from the same source (Proto-Germanic *baitijaną). See also bait, bet.
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 14 recorded puzzles:
- 2026-07-04BAEHILT
- 2025-12-08AZBTIEP
- 2025-10-12BACEILT
- 2025-09-23TAKICEB
- 2025-08-06TAMEBJN
- 2025-03-11TNAKMEB
- 2025-03-03BATGELV
- 2024-08-23BAPLEOT
- 2024-07-18TABEIPZ
- 2024-06-18ABKTCEI
- 2023-08-02TLAJCBE
- 2023-07-11ABTIFEC
+2 earlier appearances in the archive.