Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “imbue” come from?

Imbue comes from Latin imbuere, meaning to soak or moisten, which developed the figurative sense of instilling qualities into someone.

imbue (English): To wet or stain an object completely with some...

Definitions

  1. To wet or stain an object completely with some...

Ancestry of “imbue”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinimbuoI wet, moisten, dip; I tinge, stain, taint,...

Words derived from “imbue”

  • imbuement
  • reimbue
  • imbuer
  • imbueth
Every word from Latin imbuo →