baffle
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈbæfl̩/
ipa: /ˈbæf(ə)l/
rhymes: -æfəl
Forms: form: baffles
form: baffling
form: baffled
form: baffled
Etymology: The origin of the verb is uncertain; it is possibly from Scots bauchle (“to annoy; to cause harm or trouble to; to disgrace; to jilt; to treat with contempt”), from bauchle (“useless or worn-out person or thing; clumsy work, bungle; clumsy or untidy person; contemptible person; laughing stock”); further etymology uncertain, possibly related to bauch (“feeble, sorry; backward, foolish”, adjective), possibly related to Old Norse bagr (“awkward, clumsy”), bāgr (“hard up, poor; uneasy”)
The noun is derived from the verb.
Senses: examples: text: And after all, for greater infamie, / He by the heeles him hung vpon a tree, / And baffuld ſo, that all vvhich paſſed by, / The picture of his puniſhment might ſee, / And by the like enſample vvarned bee, / Hovv euer they through treaſon doe treſpaſſe.
ref: 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 27, page 443:
text: Then have the coppies of it paſted on poſts, / Like Phamplet titles that ſue to be ſold; / Have his diſgrace talk for Tobacco ſhops, / His picture bafful'd.
ref: 1612–1613, Nathan Field, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, “The Honest Mans Fortune”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act III, scene, page 161, column 2:
text: 'Tis, they ſay, a Maxim among the Svvordsmen, That he that has once been baffled, is ever after an incompetent Challenger: […]
ref: 1660, [Richard Allestree], “Sect[ion] V. Of the Second Advantage, Wealth.”, in The Gentlemans Calling, London: […] T[imothy] Garthwait […], →OCLC, page 71:
text: After this Antiochus remembring hovv often he had been baffled and diſgraced by Simon, the Father of Hyrcanus, reſolved novv to be revenged on the Son; […]
ref: 1724, Flavius Josephus, “The First Book. Containing the History of the Jews, from the Time of the Maccabees to the Siege of Jerusalem, by Titus Vespasian.”, in Roger L’Estrange, transl., The Wars of the Jews: […], 4th edition, London: […] Tho[mas] Norris, […], →OCLC, page 45:
glosses: To publicly disgrace (someone); specifically, a recreant knight.
examples: text: Should we (as you) borrow all out of others, and gather nothing of our selues, our names would be baffuld on euerie booke-sellers stall, and not a chandler's mustard-pot would wipe his mouth with our wast paper.
ref: 1592, Thomas Nash[e], Pierce Penilesse His Supplication to the Deuill. […], London: […] [John Charlewood for] Richard Ihones, […], →OCLC:
text: A Religion, that baffoules all temporall Princes, making them ſtand bare-foote at their great Biſhops gate, lye at his foote, holde his ſtirrup, yea their ovvne Crovvnes at his Curteſie, exempting all their Eccleſiaſticall Subiects from their iuriſdiction, and (vvhen they liſt) all the reſt from their allegeance.
ref: 1609, Jos[eph] Hall, “A Serious Disswasive from Poperie”, in The Peace of Rome. Proclaimed to All the World, by Her Famous Cardinall Bellarmine, and the No Lesse Famous Casuist Navarre. […], London: […] Sam[uel] Macham, →OCLC, page 32:
text: [U]nder colour of ſome particular Author that does not pleaſe you, you run dovvn and baffle that ſerious buſineſs of Regeneration, Juſtification, Sanctification, Election, Vocation, Adoption, vvhich the Apoſtle Paul hath, beſide others, vvith ſo much labour illuſtrated and diſtinguiſh'd; […]
ref: 1673, Andrew Marvel[l], The Rehearsall Transpros’d: The Second Part. […], London: […] Nathaniel Ponder […], →OCLC, page 321:
text: I muſt reſolve to fight this confounded Beau, vvill tell all the Tovvn, vvhat Men he baffles, as vvell as vvhat VVomen he lies vvith.
ref: 1692 November (first performance), Thomas Shadwell, The Volunteers: or The Stock-jobbers. A Comedy, […], London: […] James Knapton, […], published 1693, →OCLC, Act IV, scene i, page 40:
qualifier: generally
glosses: To treat (someone) with contempt; to disgrace; also, to speak of (someone or something) in contemptuous terms; to speak ill of, to vilify.