Forms: 5 abaysshment, abaschement; 6 abasshement, abashement; 6– abashment. [ad. OFr. abaïssement = esbahissement, ébahissement, n. of action f. abaïr, esbahir: see ABASH and -MENT.] Confusion from surprise, shame, or sudden check; confusion of face.
c. 1410. Love, Bonaventura’s Spec. V. Chr., iii. (Gibbs MS.). As þe perfyte meke may not here his praysynge wyth owten abaschment and schame fastnesse.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of Armes, I. xv. 43. They were dysconfyted more by abaysshment than by armes.
1523. State Papers Hen. VIII., IV. 36. An abashment and grete discorage to all those that be of the Frenche faccion.
1600. Abbot, Jonah, 423. That speech of the great abashment of his people should be brought to the King.
1749. Walpole, Lett. to H. Mann, No. 200 (1834), II. 271. To the great abashment of the Jacobites.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., III. IV. vii. 168 (1871). On her countenance there was visible neither abashment nor pride.
