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Webster 1913 Edition

Enhance

En-hance′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Enhanced
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Enhancing
.]
[Norm. F.
enhauncer
,
enhaucer
, OF.
enhaleier
,
enhaucier
; pref.
en-
(L.
in
) +
haucier
to lift, raise up, from an assumed L.
altiare
, fr. L.
altus
high; cf. Pr.
enansar
,
enanzar
, to advance, exalt, and E.
advance
. See
Altitude
, and cf.
Hawser
.]
1.
To raise or lift up; to exalt.
[Obs.]
Wyclif.
Who, naught aghast, his mighty hand
enhanced
.
Spenser.
2.
To advance; to augment; to increase; to heighten; to make more costly or attractive;
as, to
enhance
the price of commodities; to
enhance
beauty or kindness
; hence, also, to render more heinous; to aggravate;
as, to
enhance
crime
.
The reputation of ferocity
enhanced
the value of their services, in making them feared as well as hated.
Southey.

En-hance′

,
Verb.
I.
To be raised up; to grow larger;
as, a debt
enhances
rapidly by compound interest
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Enhance

ENH`ANCE

,
Verb.
T.
enh`ans.
1.
To raise; to lift; applied to material things by Spenser, but this application is entirely obsolete.
2.
To raise; to advance; to highthen; applied to price or value. War enhances the price of provisions; it enhances rents, and the value of lands.
3.
To raise; applied to qualities, quantity, pleasures, enjoyments, &c. Pleasure is enhanced by the difficulty of obtaining it.
4.
To increase; to aggravate. The guilt of a crime may be enhanced by circumstances.

ENH`ANCE

,
Verb.
I.
enh`ans. To be raised; to swell; to grow larger. A debt enhances rapidly by compound interest.

Definition 2024

enhance

enhance

English

Alternative forms

Verb

enhance ‎(third-person singular simple present enhances, present participle enhancing, simple past and past participle enhanced)

  1. (obsolete) To lift, raise up.
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, I.i:
      nought aghast, his mightie hand enhaunst: / The stroke down from her head vnto her shoulder glaunst.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Wyclif Bible to this entry?)
  2. To augment or make something greater.
    • Southey
      The reputation of ferocity enhanced the value of their services, in making them feared as well as hated.
    • 2000, Mordecai Roshwald, Liberty: Its Meaning and Scope, page 155
      A hereditary monarch relies on pomp and ceremony, which enhance the respect for the institution
  3. To improve something by adding features.
    • 1986, Maggie Righetti, Knitting in Plain English, page 192
      A pom-pom to top off a stocking cap, a fringe to feather the edge of a shawl, tassels to define the points of an afghan, these are just a few of the delightful little goodies that enhance handknit things.
  4. (intransitive) To be raised up; to grow larger.
    A debt enhances rapidly by compound interest.
  5. (radiology) To take up contrast agent (for an organ, tissue, or lesion).

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:improve

Translations

Etymology

Middle English enhauncen, from Anglo-Norman enhauncer, from Old French enhaucier ‎(“make greater”), from Late Latin *inaltare ‎(“exalt”), from Latin in + altus ‎(“high”).

Pronunciation

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