bane

noun (1)

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\ ˈbān

Definition of bane

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a source of harm or ruin : curse national frontiers have been more of a bane than a boon for mankind— D. C. Thomson

2a : death, destruction … stop the way of those that seek my bane …— Philip Sidney

b : woe

c : poison

d obsolete : killer, slayer

bane

verb

baned; baning

Definition of bane (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

obsolete

: to kill especially with poison

bane

noun (2)

Definition of bane (Entry 3 of 3)

chiefly Scotland

: bone

History and Etymology for bane

Noun (1)

Middle English, "killer, agent of death, death," going back to Old English bana "killer, agent of death," going back to Germanic *banan- (whence also Old Frisian bana, bona "killer," Old High German bano "killer, murderer," Old Norse bani "murderer, violent death"), of uncertain origin

Note: Another Germanic derivative from the same base is represented by Old English benn (feminine strong noun) "wound, sore," Old Saxon beniwunda, Old Norse ben "wound," Gothic banja "blow, wound." Attempts have been made to derive the etymon from Indo-European *g^when- "strike, kill" (see defend), but the general view is that initial *g^wh could not yield b in Germanic.

Verb

derivative of bane entry 1

Noun (2)

early Scots and northern Middle English ban, bane, going back to Old English bān — more at bone entry 1

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