abet

Etymology

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.

verb

1. (transitive) To incite; to assist or encourage by aid or countenance in crime.
   aid and abet
   Those who would exalt themselves by abetting the strength of the Godless, and the wrength of the oppressors. 1823, John Galt, Ringan Gilhaize or The Covenanters
   The Statute provides that whoever has been engaged in aiding, abetting, or assisting, directly or indirectly, is criminal. 1851, Charles G. Davis, Report of the Proceedings at the Examination of Charles G. Davis, Esq., on the Charge of Aiding and Abetting in the Rescue of a Fugitive Slave, page 39
   The brief, a motion for summary judgment in a case stemming from Fox’s egregiously false claims of Dominion-abetted election fraud, offers a portrait of extravagant cynicism. 2023-02-17, Michelle Goldberg, “What Fox News Says When You’re Not Listening”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
2. (transitive) To support, countenance, maintain, uphold, or aid (any good cause, opinion, or action); to maintain.
   Our duty is urged, and our confidence abetted. a. 1667, Jeremy Taylor, edited by George Rust, The whole works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, published 1835
   Later some of these artistic friends[…]abetted this ecclesiastical view in so far as they renounced pre-Raphaelism and learned to love the baroque; but that was an aesthetic fashion also, and corrupt,[…] 1952 May, George Santayana, “I Like to Be a Stranger”, in The Atlantic
   By the early Seventies, Playboy was selling seven million copies a month and Hefner's globe-trotting lifestyle was abetted by his private jet, the Big Bunny, that contained a circular bed, an inside disco and a wet bar. September 27, 2017, David Browne, “Hugh Hefner, 'Playboy' Founder, Dead at 91”, in Rolling Stone, archived from the original on 2017-09-28
3. (obsolete, transitive) To urge on, stimulate (a person to do) something desirable.
4. (obsolete) To back up one's forecast of a doubtful issue, by staking money, etc., to bet.

noun

1. (obsolete) Fraud or cunning.
2. (obsolete) An act of abetting; of helping; of giving aid.