imbiben

Middle English

Alternative forms

• embibe, enbibe, imbibe, inbibe

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin imbibō. It has been suggested that the loan was mediated through Middle French imbiber, but this is unlikely.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /imˈbiːbən/, /ɛmˈbiːbən/

Verb

imbiben

1. To absorb; to sop up.
2. To steep; to cause to absorb liquid.

Conjugation

Conjugation of imbiben (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) imbiben, imbibe
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	imbibe	imbibed
2nd-person singular	imbibest	imbibedest
3rd-person singular	imbibeth	imbibed
subjunctive singular	imbibe
imperative singular		—
plural1	imbiben, imbibe	imbibeden, imbibede
imperative plural	imbibeth, imbibe	—
participles	imbibynge, imbibende	imbibed

¹Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

• English: imbibe

References

• “embīben, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.