Adjacent Words

Ebb definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

EBB, n. The reflux of the tide; the return of tidewater towards the sea; opposed to flood or flowing.
1. Decline; decay; a falling from a better to a worse state; as the ebb of life; the ebb of prosperity.
EBB, v.i. To flow back; to return as the water of a tide towards the ocean; opposed to flow. The tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty four hours.
1. To decay; to decline; to return or fall back from a better to a worse state.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number) [syn: ebb, ebbing, wane]
2: the outward flow of the tide [syn: ebb, reflux] v
1: flow back or recede; "the tides ebbed at noon" [syn: ebb, ebb away, ebb down, ebb out, ebb off] [ant: surge, tide]
2: hem in fish with stakes and nets so as to prevent them from going back into the sea with the ebb
3: fall away or decline; "The patient's strength ebbed away"

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English ebbe, from Old English ebba; akin to Middle Dutch ebbe ebb, Old English of from — more at of Date: before 12th century 1. the reflux of the tide toward the sea 2. a point or condition of decline <our spirits were at a low ebb> II. intransitive verb Date: before 12th century 1. to recede from the flood 2. to fall from a higher to a lower level or from a better to a worse state <his popularity ebbed> Synonyms: see abate

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 the movement of the tide out to sea (also attrib. : ebb tide). 2 the process of draining away of flood-water etc. --v.intr. (often foll. by away) 1 (of tidewater) flow out to sea; recede; drain away. 2 decline; run low (his life was ebbing away). Phrases and idioms: at a low ebb in a poor condition or state of decline. ebb and flow a continuing process of decline and upturn in circumstances. on the ebb in decline. Etymology: OE ebba, ebbian

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ebb Ebb, n. (Zo["o]l.) The European bunting.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ebb Ebb, n. [AS. ebba; akin to Fries. ebba, D. eb, ebbe, Dan. & G. ebbe, Sw. ebb, cf. Goth. ibuks backward; prob. akin to E. even.] 1. The reflux or flowing back of the tide; the return of the tidal wave toward the sea; -- opposed to flood; as, the boats will go out on the ebb. Thou shoreless flood which in thy ebb and flow Claspest the limits of morality! --Shelley. 2. The state or time of passing away; a falling from a better to a worse state; low state or condition; decline; decay. ``Our ebb of life.'' --Roscommon. Painting was then at its lowest ebb. --Dryden. Ebb and flow, the alternate ebb and flood of the tide; often used figuratively. This alternation between unhealthy activity and depression, this ebb and flow of the industrial. --A. T. Hadley.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ebb Ebb, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Ebbed; p. pr. & vb. n. Ebbing.] [AS. ebbian; akin to D. & G. ebben, Dan. ebbe. See 2d Ebb.] 1. To flow back; to return, as the water of a tide toward the ocean; -- opposed to flow. That Power who bids the ocean ebb and flow. --Pope. 2. To return or fall back from a better to a worse state; to decline; to decay; to recede. The hours of life ebb fast. --Blackmore. Syn: To recede; retire; withdraw; decay; decrease; wane; sink; lower.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ebb Ebb, v. t. To cause to flow back. [Obs.] --Ford.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ebb Ebb, a. Receding; going out; falling; shallow; low. The water there is otherwise very low and ebb. --Holland.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(ebbs, ebbing, ebbed) 1. When the tide or the sea ebbs, its level gradually falls. When the tide ebbs it's a rock pool inhabited by crustaceans. VERB: V 2. The ebb or the ebb tide is one of the regular periods, usually two per day, when the sea gradually falls to a lower level as the tide moves away from the land. ...the spring ebb tide... N-COUNT: usu the N 3. If someone's life, support, or feeling ebbs, it becomes weaker and gradually disappears. (FORMAL) Were there occasions when enthusiasm ebbed? VERB: V • Ebb away means the same as ebb. Their popular support is ebbing away. PHRASAL VERB: V P 4. If someone or something is at a low ebb or at their lowest ebb, they are not being very successful or profitable. ...a time when everyone is tired and at a low ebb... PHRASE: v-link PHR 5. You can use ebb and flow to describe the way that something repeatedly increases and decreases or rises and falls. ...the ebb and flow of feeling and moods. PHRASE: usu PHR of n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Regression, regress, retrocession, retrogression, reflux, refluence, return. 2. Decline, decay, deterioration, degeneration, degeneracy, caducity, wane, waning. 3. Decrease, diminution, abatement, decrement, subsidence. II. v. n. 1. Recede, retire, flow back. 2. Decline, decrease, decay, wane, sink, fall away.

Moby Thesaurus

abate, ablate, advance, ascend, back, back up, bate, be eaten away, budge, calm, calm down, catabasis, cease, cessation, change, change place, circle, climb, collapse, comedown, consume, consume away, corrode, course, crash, crumble, dead set, dead stand, dead stop, deadlock, debasement, decadence, decadency, deceleration, declension, declination, decline, decline and fall, decrease, decrescendo, deformation, degeneracy, degenerateness, degeneration, degradation, deliquesce, demotion, depravation, depravedness, depreciation, derogation, descend, descent, deterioration, devolution, die, die away, die down, diminish, diminuendo, direct tide, dive, downtrend, downturn, downward mobility, downward trend, drift away, drop, drop off, dwindle, dwindling, dying, dying down, ease off, ebb and flow, ebb tide, ebbing, effeteness, erode, fade, fade away, fading, fail, failing, failure, failure of nerve, fall, fall away, fall off, falling-off, flood, flood tide, flow, flow back, flow in, flow out, flush, flux, flux and reflux, full stop, full tide, get over, go, go around, go away, go down, go downhill, go off, go round, go sideways, gush, gyrate, halt, high tide, high water, hit a slump, hit rock bottom, hit the skids, involution, issue, languish, lapse, lessen, let up, lock, loss of tone, low tide, low water, lull, lunar tide, make, melt away, moderate, molder, mount, move, move away, move off, move over, neap, neap tide, opposite tide, pacify, peter out, plummet, plunge, pour, progress, pull away, quiesce, quiet, quieten, reach the depths, recede, refluence, reflux, regress, regression, regurgitate, relent, remission, retire, retreat, retrocede, retrocession, retrogradation, retrograde, retrogress, retrogression, rip, riptide, rise, rotate, run, run down, run low, rush, sag, set, shift, shrink, sink, slacken, slide, slip, slippage, slowdown, slump, soar, solar tide, soothe, spin, spring tide, stand, stand off, standstill, stillstand, stir, stop, stream, subside, subsidence, surge, surge back, tail off, thalassometer, tidal amplitude, tidal current, tidal current chart, tidal flow, tidal range, tide, tide chart, tide gate, tide gauge, tide race, tide rip, tidewater, tideway, touch bottom, tranquilize, travel, trend, wane, waning, waste, waste away, wear, wear away, whirl, widen the distance, withdraw