ebb

Meaning

Noun

1. The receding movement of the tide.
2. A gradual decline.
3. (especially) A low state; a state of depression.
4. A European bunting, the corn bunting (Emberiza calandra, syns. Emberiza miliaria, Milaria calandra).

Adj

low, shallow

Verb

1. (intransitive) to flow back or recede
2. (intransitive) to fall away or decline
3. (intransitive) to fish with stakes and nets that serve to prevent the fish from getting back into the sea with the ebb
4. (transitive) To cause to flow back.

Synonyms

decline

low tide

decrease

subside

reflux

recede

ebb tide

wane

dry up

fall

ebb out

ebb off

dip

ebb away

fade

ebbing

set

retreat

drop

ebb down

flow back

decay

low water

fail

falling tide

climb down

degenerate

deflation

depress

descent

cipher

blench

deduct

chit

declivity

enumerate

check

bill

amelioration

dwindle

debouch

cave in

dry

dam up

drop-off

dam

calculate

evaporate

back up

downturn

Translations

marée basse

Ebbe

reflux

riflusso

eb

bassa marea

άμπωτη

bassa

baixa-mar

bajamar

cezir

tramonto

ebbe

décliner

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɛb/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: ebbe

Inherited from Old English: ebba

Cognate with Western Frisian: ebbe

Cognate with Dutch: eb

Cognate with German: Ebbe

Cognate with Danish: ebbe

Cognate with Old Norse: efja

Cognate with Old English: af

Inherited from Middle English: ebben

Inherited from Old English: ebbian

In summary

From Middle English ebbe, from Old English ebba (“ebb, tide”), from Proto-West Germanic *abbjā, from Proto-Germanic *abjô, *abjǭ, from Proto-Germanic *ab (“off, away”), from Proto-Indo-European *apó.
See also West Frisian ebbe, Dutch eb, German Ebbe, Danish ebbe, Old Norse efja (“countercurrent”), Old English af. More at of, off.