lavish

Etymology

From Middle English laves, lavas, lavage (“extravagant, wasteful, prodigal”), from lavas (“excessive abundance”), from Old French lavasse, lavache (“torrent of rain”); possibly later conflated in some senses by Middle English laven (“to pour out”), equivalent to lave + -ish. Compare Scots lawage, lavisch, lavish (“unrestrained, excessively prodigal, extravagant”). Compare also English lavy (“lavish, liberal”), Dutch lafenis (“lavishness”).

adj

1. Expending or bestowing profusely; profuse; prodigal.
   lavish of money; lavish of praise
2. Superabundant; excessive.
   lavish spirits
   lavish meal
3. (obsolete) Unrestrained, impetuous.

verb

1. (transitive) To give out extremely generously; to squander.
   They lavished money on the dinner.
2. (transitive) To give out to (somebody) extremely generously.
   They lavished him with praise.

noun

1. (obsolete) Excessive abundance or expenditure, profusion, prodigality.